zeta

noun

ze·​ta ˈzā-tə How to pronounce zeta (audio)
ˈzē-
: the 6th letter of the Greek alphabet see Alphabet Table

Examples of zeta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mathematicians already know that the nontrivial zeta zeros are confined between 0 and 1. Byzack Savitsky, science.org, 29 July 2024 In 1859, Bernhard Riemann, another renowned German mathematician, sought help from a different function, now called the Riemann zeta function. Byzack Savitsky, science.org, 29 July 2024 Riemann knew that the zeta function has an infinite number of zeros within the critical strip. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 July 2024 Riemann quickly found that the zeta function has no zeros if the real part is greater than 1. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 July 2024 Riemann had actually done pages of calculations of zeros of the Riemann zeta function. Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 31 Aug. 2023 The Riemann zeta function, by contrast, assigns complex numbers to the variable s, an innovation that brings the whole vast store of techniques from complex analysis to bear on questions in number theory. Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 13 Jan. 2022 Riemann’s question hinges on the Riemann zeta function. Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 13 Jan. 2022 The Riemann zeta function is the most famous member of a large class of mathematical objects, L-functions, that encode many different arithmetic relationships. Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 13 Jan. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Greek zēta

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zeta was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near zeta

Cite this Entry

“Zeta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeta. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

zeta

noun
ze·​ta ˈzāt-ə How to pronounce zeta (audio)
: the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet
Ζ or ζ
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