Author: Paul J. Nahin
For centuries, mathematicians the world over have tried, and failed, to solve the zeta-3 problem.
Math genius Leonhard Euler attempted it in the 1700s and came up short.
The straightforward puzzle considers if there exists a simple symbolic formula for the following: 1+(1/2)^3+(1/3)^3+(1/4)^3+… . But why is this issue — the sum of the reciprocals of the positive integers cubed—so important?
With “In Pursuit of Zeta-3,” popular math writer Paul Nahin investigates the history and significance of this mathematical conundrum.
