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Three open problems and a conjecture

Article in Open Mathematics October 2015
DOI: 10.1515/math-2015-0069

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2 authors:
Ovidiu Furdui

Huizeng Qin

Universitatea Tehnica Cluj-Napoca

Shandong University of Technology

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Open Math. 2015; 13: 729736

Open Mathematics

Open Access

Research Article
Huizeng Qin and Ovidiu Furdui*

Three open problems and a conjecture

DOI 10.1515/math-2015-0069
Received June 3, 2015; accepted October 16, 2015.

Abstract: In this paper we solve three open problems and a conjecture related to the calculations of some classes of

multiple series posed by Furdui in [1].

Keywords: Multiple series, Polylogarithm function, Stirling numbers of the first kind, Riemann zeta function
MSC: 11B73, 40A05, 40B05, 40C10

1 Introduction and the main results

In [1, Section 3.7, p.163] Furdui posed four open problems related to the calculation of some classes of multiple series
and a conjecture involving a series containing a factorial term. These problems were motivated by the exercises and
problems collected in [1]. In this paper, we solve these problems and prove the conjecture is true. Throughout this
P
1
paper Hn denotes the nth harmonic number defined by Hn D n
. For the sake of completeness we record
kD1 k
below the problems we solve. First we give the solution of problem 3.134.
3.134. Let k  3 be an integer. Calculate
1
X

Sk D

. 1/n1 Cn2 C


Cnk

n1 ;:::;nk D1

Hn1 Cn2 C


Cnk

:
n1 n2


nk

We record the solution of this problem in the next theorem.

Theorem 1.1. Let k  1 be an integer. Then,
k 1

Sk D . 1/

kC1

ln

 
1
2 C kLikC1
2

k
X
. 1/k
lD1

where Lik is the polylogarithm function defined, for jzj  1, by Lik .z/ D
P
1
function defined by .s/ D 1
nD1 ns , <s > 1.

.l C 1/ lnk
.k l/
zn
nD1 nk

P1

and  is the Riemann zeta

Proof. We use the following formula for the nth harmonic number (see [2, p.176])
Z1

1 tn
dt D Hn ;
1 t

n  1:

Huizeng Qin: School of Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, Shandong, 255049, China, E-mail: qinhz_000@163.com
*Corresponding Author: Ovidiu Furdui: Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Memorandumului
Nr. 28, 400114, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, E-mail: Ovidiu.Furdui@math.utcluj.ro, ofurdui@yahoo.com
2015 Qin and Furdui, published by De Gruyter Open.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.

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730

H. Qin, O. Furdui

We have
1
X

Sk D

. 1/n1 Cn2 C


Cnk

n1 n2


nk

n1 ;


;nk D1

Z1
D

1
1

n1 ;


;nk D1

D . 1/

Z1

1
1

t n1 Cn2 C


Cnk
dt
1 t

0
1
X

n1 Cn2 C


Cnk

t
k

1
X

Z1

. 1/
n1 n2


nk


lnk 2

n1 ;


;nk D1

k 1

ln .1 C t / dt D . 1/

Z1
k

Z1

lnk

lnk

With the variable t D 2u

1
. t /n1 Cn2 C


Cnk A
dt
n1 n2


nk
.1 C t / ln.1
1Ct

t/

(1)

dt:

1, the integral is easily evaluated with iterated integration by parts. We have

.1 C t / ln.1
1Ct
Z1

lnkC1 2
k

t/

Z1
dt D

lnk

.2u/ ln.2.1
u

u//

du

1=2

lnk

.2u/

Li1 .u/
du
u

1=2

lnkC1 2
D
k

k 1

.2/ ln

Z1
2 C .k

1/

k 2

ln

(2)

Li2 .u/
.2u/
du
u

1=2

D

lnkC1 2
C .k
k

1/

k
X
. 1/l .l C 1/ lnk
.k l/

C . 1/k

.k

1/LikC1

lD1

 
1
:
2

When combining (1) and (2) Theorem 1.1 is proved.

The second author thanks Cornel I. Valean for communicating to him, without proof, the result in Theorem 1.1.
The second open problem we discuss is about calculating an alternating sum involving a product of k harmonic
numbers.
3.135. Let k  2 be an integer. Evaluate, in closed form, the multiple series
1
X

Tk D

. 1/n1 Cn2 C


Cnk

n1 ;


;nk D1

Hn1 Hn2


Hnk

:
n1 n2


nk .n1 C n2 C


C nk /

We give only a partial result to this problem which we record in the next theorem.
Theorem 1.2. Let k  2 be an integer. The following equality holds
k
Z1 
1
dt
Tk D
Li2 . t / C ln2 .1 C t /
:
2
t
0

Proof. We have
1
X

Tk D

n1 ;:::;nk D1

Z1
D
0

n1 C


Cnk

. 1/

Hn1 Hn2


Hnk

n1 n2


nk

Z1

t n1 C


Cnk

dt

0
1

Z
1
1
1
X
1 X . t /n1 Hn1 X . t /n2 Hn2
. t /nk Hnk
1




dt D
t
n1
n2
nk
t
n1 D1

n2 D1

nk D1

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1
X
. t /n Hn
n

nD1

!k
dt:

Three open problems and a conjecture

731

Using the identity (with the convention that H0 D 0)

1
1
X
X
. t/n Hn
. t /n H n
D
n
n

nD1

nD1

1
X
. t /n
1
D ln2 .1 C t / C Li2 . t/ ;
2
n2

t 2 . 1; 1;

nD1

the theorem is proved.

Remark 1.3. It is worth mentioning that the problem cannot be solved in the sense that in general, alternating sums
appear which are (conjecturally) not expressible as polynomials in .s/, ln 2 and Lis .1=2/. Only for the first integral,
the case when k D 2, one has such a simple form
Z1 

1
Li2 . t / C ln2 .1 C t /
2

2

dt
33
5
D
.5/ C .2/.3/
t
32
8

 
1
2 ln 2Li4
2

 
1
2Li5
2

1
1 5
ln 2 C .2/ ln3 2
15
3

7
.3/ ln2 2:
8

However, the next integral is (in the data mine basis [3])
3
Z1 
1
213
dt
Li2 . t / C ln2 .1 C t /
D
.2/.5/
2
t
17

3
30009 2
.2/.1; 1; 3/ C
 .2/.3/
2
2720

247695
.7/
4352

555
186
.1; 1; 5/ C
.1; 3; 3/
17
17

(3)

9.1; 1; 1; 1; 3/;

in terms of the alternating multiple sums

.n1 ; n2 ; : : : ; nd / D

.sign n1 /k1


.sign nd /kd

0<k1 <


<kd

k1jn1 j


kdjnd j

Note that the last three sums in (3) are assumed to be linearly independent over Q, also modulo zeta values and any
products of sums of lower weight. Hence, since on this basis,
 
1
159
1
1
Li7
D
.7/ C .1; 1; 5/
.1; 1; 1; 1; 3/ C products
2
128
4
2
does not even involve .1; 3; 3/ at all, it is impossible to rewrite (3) as a polynomial in ln 2 and single zetas .n/
and the values Lis .1=2/. True (non-products), nested multiple (alternating) sums are required here.
The next theorem is about calculating, in closed form, a multiple series that resembles the harmonic sum Tk .
Theorem 1.4. Let k  1 be an integer. The following equality holds
Uk D

1
X
n1 ;


;nk D1

. 1/n1 Cn2 C


Cnk

Hn1 1 Hn2 1


Hnk 1

n1 n2


nk .n1 C n2 C


C nk /

ln2kC1 2
.2k/
D k
C k
.2k C 1/
2 .2k C 1/
2

2kC1
X
lD1

ln2kC1
.2k C 1

with the convention that H0 D 0.

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2
Lil
l/

 !
1
;
2

732

H. Qin, O. Furdui

Proof. We have
1
X

Uk D

n1 ;


;nk D1

Z1
D

. 1/n1 Cn2 C


Cnk Hn1 1 Hn2

n1 n2


nk

1
1 X . t /n1 Hn1
t
n1

Z1
D

Z1

t n1 Cn2 C


Cnk

dt

n1 D1

1
X
. t /nk Hnk
nk

dt

(4)

nk D1

!k

1
X
. t /n Hn
n

1
t

Hnk

1
X
. t /n2 Hn2
n2

n1 D1

dt:

nD1

Since

1
X
. t /n Hn
n

nD1

1 2
ln .1 C t /;
2

t 2 . 1; 1;

it follows, based on (4), that

Uk D

1
2k

Z1

2k

ln

2kC1

2kC1
X

.1 C t /
ln
2
.2k/
dt D k
C k @.2k C 1/
t
2 .2k C 1/
2

j D1

1
 
2
1 A
Lij
;
j /
2

2kC1 j

ln
.2k C 1

where the last equality is based on the following formula

Z1
0

lnk .1 C t /
lnkC1 2
dt D
C k.k C 1/
t
kC1

kC1
X
j D1

lnkC1
.k C 1

2
Lij
j /

 
1
;
2

(5)

where k  1 is an integer.
Formula (5) can be proved either by direct computation or it can be seen it follows from the identity [4, equations
(7.48) and (7.49), p.178]
n
X1
kD0

via the substitution t D z

Z1

lnk .1=z/
Lin
k

Zz

lnn 1 u
du;
1 u

1:

lnk .1 C t /
dt D
t

. 1/n 1
k .z/ D .n/ C
.n 1/

Z1
1=2

lnk .1=z/
lnkC1 2
dz D
C . 1/k
z.1 z/
kC1

Z1=2

lnk z
dz:
1 z

The theorem is proved.

Remark 1.5. Using the generating function for the Stirling numbers of the first kind ([5, p.56]) lnk .1 C t/ D
P
lnk .1Ct/
tn
k 1
from 0 to 1 term-by-term we have, based on formula (5),
nDk s.n; k/ n , jtj < 1, and then integrating
t
that
 
1
kC1
X
X lnkC1 j 2
s.n; k/
lnkC1 2
1
D
C .k C 1/
Lij
:
n
n
.k C 1/
.k C 1 j /
2
j D1

nDk

This formula resembles the surprising series involving . 1/

1
X
nDk

. 1/n

nCk

s.n; k/ due to Li-Chien Shen [6]

s.n; k/
D . 1/k .k C 1/:
n
n

The third problem we solve is about calculating, in closed form, a multiple alternating Hardy series.

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733

Three open problems and a conjecture

3.136. Let k  3 be an integer. Calculate, in closed form, the series

1
X

Ak D

. 1/n1 Cn2 C


Cnk Hn1 Cn2 C


Cnk

:

ln.n1 C n2 C


C nk /

n1 ;


;nk D1

This problem was motivated by the alternating series

1
X

A1 D

. 1/n .Hn

/ D

ln n

ln 
2

nD1

due to Hardy [7, p.277]. The double series

1 X
1
X

A2 D

. 1/nCm .HnCm

ln.n C m/

/ D

3 ln A C

nD1 mD1

1
7
ln 2 C ln 
12
2

;
4

where A denotes the GlaisherKinkelin constant, can be found in [1, Problem 3.106, p.157]. Thus, the problem was
open only for the case when k  3.
Theorem 1.6 (A multiple alternating Hardy series). The following equality holds
2

Ak D . 1/

k 42

2k

k
X

ln 2

1
Hk
C k Ck
n2n
2

nD1

Z1 y k

 
1
y

ln ln

dy 5 :

.1 C y/kC1

Proof. First we observe that, if k  0 is an integer, then using summation by parts we have
1
X

. 1/n .HnCk

ln.n C k/

/ D

nD1

1 
X


1
C ln 1
2n C k

nD1

1
2n C k


:

(6)

It follows that,
Ak D

1
X

1
X

1
X

1
X
mD2
1
X
mD2

Z1

D . 1/

1
n1 C


C nk

1
X

mD2

1
m2m

Z1

tm

kC1
2 t

ln.n1 C n2 C


C nk /

1
m2m

1
m

.e t
t .1

Z1
0

tm
.1
tm

.1

e
1

Z1

n1 Cn2 C


Cnk
2

tm

t / .1

Cn

. 1/n1

n1 1
2 t

1
X
nk

1 D1

t
2

k 1

dt

.t ! 2t /

.kC1/t

t / .1

Ce

t /k

C 2n

m

dt

kC1
2 t

Ce



1
X

1
n1 C


C nk

n1 Cn2 C


Cnk 1 C2
t
2

n1 D1

Z1

C 2n


C ln 1

1
m2m

1
m2m

1 X
1
X
nD1 mD2

. 1/n1 C


Cnk

mD2

D . 1/k

nD1

1 D1

n1 ;


;nk

D . 1/k

1 
X

. 1/n1 C


Cnk

1
X

D . 1/k

n1 C


Cnk

1 D1

n1 ;


;nk

. 1/

1
X

. 1/nk Hn1 Cn2 C


Cnk

nk D1

1 D1

n1 ;


;nk

1
X

1 D1

n1 ;


;nk
(6)

. 1/n1 C


Cnk

dt

1 t /e .kC1/t
dt:
e t / .1 C e t /k

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. 1/nk

nk 1
2

dt

734

H. Qin, O. Furdui

We calculate the preceding integral by parts, with f .t / D

g.t/ D

ln 1

e
t

1
,
.e t C1/k

f 0 .t / D

ke t
,
.e t C1/kC1

g 0 .t / D

et t 1
,
t.e t 1/

, and we have

Z1

et
t .e t

Z1

1 t
dt D
1/ .1 C e t /k

k
0

Z1
Dk
0

Z1
D
0

Z1
D
0

et
et 1
ln
dt
t et
.e t C 1/kC1
Z1

t et
dt
t
.e C 1/kC1

k
0

Z1

1
dt
.1 C e t /k

.e t

Z1

dt
.1 C e t /k

k
0

et
et 1
ln
dt
kC1
t
C 1/
(7)

ln e t 1
ln t
dt
.1 C e t /kC1

ln u
du C k
.2 C u/kC1

Z1
0

e t ln t
dt:
.1 C e t /kC1

On the other hand,

Z1
0

dt
D ln 2
.1 C e t /k

k
X1
nD1

1
n2n

Z1
and
0

ln u
ln 2
1
du D k C 2 k
kC1
.2 C u/
k2
k 2

Hk
:
k2k

(8)

Combining (7) and (8) we get that

Z1

et
t

.e t

2k 1
1 t
dt D
ln 2
t
k
1/ .1 C e /
2k
D

2k 1
ln 2
2k

Z1
Q.y/ ln ln

We mention that, integrals of the form

k
X
nD1
k
X
nD1

Hk
1
C k Ck
n
n2
2
1
Hk
C k Ck
n2n
2

Z1

e t ln t
dt
.1 C e t /kC1
0
 
Z1 y k 1 ln ln 1
y
0

.1 C y/kC1

dy:

 
1
dy, where Q is a rational function, have been calculated
y

by Medina and Moll in [8]. The theorem is proved.

The last open problem we solve is about calculating in closed form a multiple factorial series.
3.137. Does the sum equal a rational multiple of e?
Let k  4 be an integer. Calculate the sum
1
X
n1 ;


;nk D1

n1 n2


nk
:
.n1 C n2 C


C nk /

Conjecture. It is reasonable to conjecture that

1
X
n1 ;


;nk D1

n1 n2


nk
D ak e;
.n1 C n2 C


C nk /

where ak is a rational number. We have that a1 D 1, a2 D 2=3, and a3 D 31=120 (see Problems 3.114 and 3.118
in [1]). If the conjecture holds true, an open problem would be to study the properties of the sequence .ak /k2N .
In the next theorem we solve this problem and show the conjecture holds true. We also give the formula for the
sequence .ak /k2N as a rational linear combination of binomial coefficients.

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Three open problems and a conjecture

735

Let k; l be integers such that k  1 and l D 1; : : : ; k, let

1
X

fk;l .z/ D

n1 ;


;nk D1

and let

n1 n2


nl z n1 Cn2 C


Cnk
;
.n1 C n2 C


C nk /

1
X

fk;0 .z/ D

n1 ;


;nk D1

z 2 C;

z n1 Cn2 C


Cnk
;
.n1 C n2 C


C nk /

(9)

z 2 C:

(10)

Theorem 1.7 (A multiple factorial sum). Let k; l be integers such that k  1 and l D 1; : : : ; k, let fk;l be as in (9)
and fk;0 be as in (10). The following equalities hold
fk;0 .z/ D e z

k
X1
lD0

. 1/k 1
l

l l

C . 1/k

and
fk;l .z/ D e

lX
1

1
i

iD0

z kCi
:
.k C i /

Thus,
1
X

fk;k .1/ D

n1 ;


;nk D1

!
k
X1 k 1
n1 n2


nk
1
De
.n1 C n2 C


C nk /
i
.k C i /
iD0

and hence
ak D

k
X1

i D0

1
:
.k C i /

In particular,
f2;2 .1/ D

2e
;
3

f3;3 .1/ D

31e
;
120

f4;4 .1/ D

179e
;
2520

f5;5 .1/ D

787e
;
51840

f6;6 .1/ D

6631e
:
2494800

Proof. First we observe that

1
X

n1 n2


nl z n1 Cn2 C


Cnk D

n1 ;n2 ;:::;nk D1

zk
;
.1 z/kCl

jzj < 1:

We compare the coefficients of z N of both sides, for N  k, and we have

X
n1 ;n2 ;:::;nk 1
n1 Cn2 C


Cnk DN

N Cl
n1 n2


nl D
kCl

! l 1
!
!
X
1
N
l 1
D
:
1
kCi
i
i D0

Thus (note that we can sum N from zero, because the binomial coefficient vanishes for N < k):
!
! 1
!
1
1
lX
1
X
X
X
l 1
zN
l 1 z kCi
zN N C l 1
z
fk;l .z/ D
D
De
:
N k C l 1
i
.N k i /.k C i /
i
.k C i /
N D0

i D0

N DkCi

iD0

For calculating fk;0 .z/ we apply the same technique as above. We have
1
X
zN N
fk;0 .z/ D
N k
N Dk

!
1
X
1
D
1
N.N
N Dk

zN
k/.k

1/

Zz

1
.k

and the result follows by using iterated integration by parts.

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1/
0

e u uk

du

736

H. Qin, O. Furdui

Remark 1.8. We proved the conjecture that fk;k .1/ 2 eQ is a rational multiple of e. However, the problem holds
much more generally. Namely, for any polynomial P 2 Qn1 ; n2 ; : : : ; nk in k variables the associated series
1
X

A.k; P / D

n1 ;n2 ;:::;nk D1

P .n1 ; : : : ; nk /
2 eQ
.n1 C


C nk /

is a rational multiple of e. Theorem 1.7 is a special case when P D n1 n2


nk . This follows from
1
X

F .z1 ; z2 ; : : : ; zk / D

n1 ;n2 ;:::;nk D1

k
X
z1n1


zknk
e zi 1
Q
D
.n1 C


C nk /
j i .zi =zj
iD1

1/

(11)

because we can build up the numerator P in the summand via derivatives. We end up with some rational (in the zi )
linear combination of the e zi . Taking limits as zi ! 1, it is clear that we get rational multiples of e:
A.k; P / D lim


lim P .z1 @z1 ; : : : ; zk @zk /F .z1 ; : : : ; zk / 2 eQ:
z1 !1

zk !1

Formula (11) can be proved inductively from F .z1 / D e z1

F .z1 ; z2 ; : : : ; zk / D
which follows from

1
z1 =z2

n1 n2
n1 Cn2 Dn z1 z2

1
D

1 via

F .z1 ; z3 ; z4 ; : : : ; zk / C

z1n
z1 =z2

z2n
z2 =z1

1
z2 =z1

F .z2 ; z3 ; z4 ; : : : ; zk /;

Acknowledgement: The authors thank one of the referees for several comments that led to the improvement of the

presentation of this paper, for the simplification of the proof of Theorem 1.7 and for pointing out the ideas in Remark
1.8. We mention that problem 3.137 has also been solved by professor Ulrich Abel who used a technique based on
divided differences and derivatives of exponential functions [9]. The first author is supported by National Natural
Science Foundation of China grant number 61379009.

References
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]

Furdui O., Limits, Series and Fractional Part Integrals. Problems in Mathematical Analysis, Springer, New York, 2013
Boros G., Moll V.H., Irresistible Integrals, Symbolics, Analysis and Experiments in the Evaluation of Integrals, Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, 2004
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