Let $L(s,\unicode[STIX]{x1D712})$ be the Dirichlet $L$-function associated to a non-principal primitive character $\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}$ modulo $q$ with $3\leqslant q\leqslant 400\,000$. We prove a new explicit zero-free region for $L(s,\unicode[STIX]{x1D712})$: $L(s,\unicode[STIX]{x1D712})$ does not vanish in the region $\mathfrak{Re}\,s\geqslant 1-1/(R\log (q\max (1,|\mathfrak{Im}\,s|)))$ with $R=5.60$. This improves a result of McCurley where $9.65$ was shown to be an admissible value for $R$.

While the distribution of the non-trivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function constitutes a central theme in Mathematics, nothing is known about the algebraic nature of these non-trivial zeros. In this article, we study the transcendental nature of sums of the form

$$\begin{eqnarray}\mathop{\sum }_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}}R(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C})x^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}},\end{eqnarray}$$

$\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}$

$\unicode[STIX]{x1D701}(s)$

$R(x)\in \overline{\mathbb{Q}}(x)$

$x>0$

$$\begin{eqnarray}f(x)=\mathop{\sum }_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}}\frac{x^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}}}{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}}\end{eqnarray}$$

$(1,\infty )$

$f(x)$

$x<1$

$x>1$

$x<1$

$d\geqslant 1$

$f(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70B}\sqrt{d}x)$

$(0,1/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70B}\sqrt{d})$

$$\begin{eqnarray}L^{\prime }(1,\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}_{-d})\neq 0,\end{eqnarray}$$

$\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}_{-d}$

$K:=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{-d})$

We define a sequence of real functions which coincide with Li's coefficients at one and which allow us to extend Li's criterion for the Riemann Hypothesis to yield a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of zero-free strips inside the critical strip $0<\Re(z)<1$. We study some of the properties of these functions, including their oscillatory behaviour.

Derivation and extended double shuffle (EDS) relations for multiple zeta values (MZVs) are proved. Related algebraic structures of MZVs, as well as a ‘linearized’ version of EDS relations are also studied.