Riemann hypothesis and super-conformal invariance

Abstract

A strategy for proving (not a proof of, as was the first over-optimistic belief) the Riemann hypothesis is suggested. The vanishing of Riemann Zeta reduces to an orthogonality condition for the eigenfunctions of a non-Hermitian operator D^+ having the zeros of Riemann Zeta as its eigenvalues. The construction of D^+ is inspired by the conviction that Riemann Zeta is associated with a physical system allowing superconformal transformations as its symmetries and second quantization in terms of the representations of superconformal algebra. The eigenfunctions of D^+ are analogous to the so called coherent states and in general not orthogonal to each other. The states orthogonal to a vacuum state (having a negative norm squared) correspond to the zeros of Riemann Zeta. The physical states having a positive norm squared correspond to the zeros of Riemann Zeta at the critical line. Riemann hypothesis follows by reductio ad absurdum from the hypothesis that ordinary superconformal algebra acts as gauge symmetries for all coherent states orthogonal to the vacuum state, including also the non-physical coherent states that might exist off from the critical line.