What is … a zeta function?

This page hosts information on David Ouwehand's talk "What is … a zeta function?" at the "What is …?" seminar. The talk will take place on Friday, November 4, 4pm at HU, RUD 25 1.023.

Abstract

Zeta functions are objects that arise in many areas of mathematics. This talk will be about the Dedekind zeta function of a number field and the Hasse-Weil zeta function of a smooth curve over a finite field; the goal is to explain how these zeta functions contain (respectively) arithmetic and geometric information. If time permits, I will also talk about the zeta functions of schemes that are of finite type over the integers. These generalize the previous types of zeta functions.

Comments