A Computer-Algebra-Based Formal Proof of the Irrationality of ζ(3)

ABSTRACT. This paper describes the formal verification of an irrationality proof of ζ(3), the evaluation of the Riemann zeta function, using the Coq proof assistant. This result was first proved by Apéry in 1978, and the proof we have formalized follows the path of his original presentation. The crux of this proof is to establish that some sequences verify a common recurrence. We formally prove this result by an a posteriori verification of calculations performed by computer algebra algorithms in a Maple session. The rest of the proof combines arithmetical ingredients and some asymptotic analysis that we conduct by extending the Mathematical Components libraries.