zeta-functionhttp://www.oed.com/dictionary/zeta-function_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_usezeta function, n.
Revised 2018

zeta functionnoun

Mathematics.
  1. 1879–
    a. Any member of several families of functions connected with elliptic integrals, typically denoted by ‘Z’ or ‘ζ’; b. the Riemann zeta function; (in later use also) any of various functions generalizing the Riemann zeta function to a different context or otherwise regarded as somehow analogous to it.
    Frequently with modifying word.
    1. 1879
      ‘Values of the Theta and Zeta Functions for certain Values of the Argument.’ By J. W. L. Glaisher.
      Proceedings of Royal Society vol. 29 351 (heading)
    2. 1901
      The Double Riemann Zeta Function.
      Philosophical Transactions (Royal Society) A. vol. 196 266
    3. 1943
      The second part of the paper is concerned with similar problems for certain Epstein zeta-functions.
      Annals of Mathematics vol. 44 144
    4. 1995
      An antiderivative for the function..is given by the Weierstrass zeta function.
      American Math. Monthly vol. 102 432
    5. 2015
      If we know enough about the zeros of the zeta function, we can deduce a lot of new information about the primes from Riemann's formula.
      I. Stewart, Professor Stewart's Incredible Numbers (Electronic edition)

Originally published as part of the entry for zeta, n.¹

zeta, n.¹ was revised in June 2018.