Euler sums in terms of generalized polylogarithm values

Let ww be a positive integer. An alternating multiple zeta value is a value of the alternating multiple zeta function of weight ww. For a vector s\vec{s}, write w(s)w(\vec{s}) for its weight, and let Lis\mathop{\rm Li}\nolimits_{\vec{s}}, Les\mathop{\rm Le}\nolimits_{\vec{s}} denote the generalized polylogarithms used in the paper. Also write ζ(\inbr1w;σ1,,σw)\zeta(\inbr{1}_w;\sigma_1,\dots,\sigma_w) for the alternating multiple zeta function with signs σj\sigma_j. Euler-sums conjecture. Any value of the alternating multiple zeta function of weight ww is a rational linear combination of numbers of any one of the following forms: Lis(1/2)\mathop{\rm Li}\nolimits_{\vec{s}}(1/2), Les(1/2)\mathop{\rm Le}\nolimits_{\vec{s}}(1/2), Lis(1)\mathop{\rm Li}\nolimits_{\vec{s}}(-1), Les(1)\mathop{\rm Le}\nolimits_{\vec{s}}(-1), with w(s)=ww(\vec{s})=w, or ζ(\inbr1w;1,σ2,,σw)\zeta(\inbr{1}_w;-1,\sigma_2,\dots,\sigma_w) with arbitrary σj=±1\sigma_j=\pm1 for j>1j>1. This conjecture proposes that alternating multiple zeta values can be expressed through any one of several families of generalized polylogarithm values of the same weight.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

S. A. Zlobin, “Special Values of Generalized Polylogarithms”, arXiv:0712.1656 (2007).

Progress summary

Refreshed
Open

Zlobin’s conjecture remains unproved in general, with only low-length proofs and numerical checks through weight 88.

S. A. Zlobin formulated the Euler-sums conjecture in 2007: every alternating multiple zeta value of weight ww should be expressible using any one of five specified families of generalized polylogarithm or alternating zeta values. The paper proves equivalence among the five formulations but does not claim a proof in all weights.

Known results

  • Alternating multiple zeta values of length at most 22: proved by Zlobin (2007).
  • The conjecture was checked computationally through weight 88 using high-precision evaluation and PSLQ (Zlobin, 2007).
  • Related basis conjectures for generalized polylogarithm values were numerically checked through weight 99 (Zlobin, 2007).

Current status (as of August 2026): the conjecture is open beyond the proved length-22 cases and the reported computational checks, with no publicly retrieved proof, counterexample, or subsequent verification.

Sources

Solutions 0

No solutions have been posted yet.