Large values of the argument of the Riemann zeta-function and its iterates (Q2030225)

The function \(S(t)=\frac{1}{\pi}\arg \zeta(1/2+it)\), where the argument is obtained in a standard way has deep connections with the counting of non-trivial zeros on the critical strip of the Riemann zeta function. By setting \(N(t)\) the number of zeros of \(\zeta\) on the critical strip up to height \(t\) (counted with multiplicity and with weight \(1/2\)), then one has the classical formula \[N(t)=\frac{t}{2\pi}\log(t/2\pi)-\frac{t}{2\pi}+\frac{7}{8}+S(t)+O(1/t).\] A classical result due to Littlewood states that under the Riemann hypothesis (RH) \[S(t)\ll \frac{\log t}{\log \log t}.\] By considering omega results, Selberg has shown that under RH we have \[S(t)=\Omega_{\pm}\left(\frac{\sqrt{\log t}}{\log \log t} \right).\] In the paper under review the authors study the anti-derivatives of these functions, and also they analyze the behavior of the argument of \(\zeta\) inside the critical strip. With that in mind, one defines for \(1/2\leq \sigma\leq 1\) and \(t>0\): \[S_n(\sigma,t)=\int_0^tS_{n-1}(\sigma,\tau)d\tau+\delta_{n,\sigma},\] where \(n\geq 1\) is an integer, \(\delta_{n,\sigma}\) is a suitable constant and \(S_0(\sigma,t)=\frac{1}{\pi}\arg \zeta(\sigma+it)\). There it is a large literature on these functions when \(\sigma=1/2\), the paper under review seems to present an exhaustive list of the current state of an art of this subject. The first result of the paper under review presents an omega result (conditionally on RH) for the difference \(S_n(\sigma,t+h)-S_n(\sigma,t)\). This omega bound is linear in \(h\). With this they present several consequences, one of them is an improvement on the Selberg's omega bound. The proofs are built upon the resonance method of \textit{A. Bondarenko} and \textit{K. Seip} [Math. Ann. 372, No. 3--4, 999--1015 (2018; Zbl 1446.11153)] on the extreme values of \(\zeta\) and its argument, and on a paper by \textit{A. Chirre} on the functions \(S_n(\sigma,t)\) [J. Number Theory 200, 329--352 (2019; Zbl 1447.11093)].