Challenging sum $\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{(2k+1)^2}$

harmonic-numbersintegrationpolylogarithmsequences-and-seriessummation-by-parts

How to prove that

\begin{align}
\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{(2k+1)^2}=\frac13\ln^42-2\ln^22\zeta(2)+7\ln2\zeta(3)-\frac{121}{16}\zeta(4)+8\operatorname{Li}_4\left(\frac12\right)
\end{align}

where $H_n^{(m)}=1+\frac1{2^m}+\frac1{3^m}+…+\frac1{n^m}$ is the $n$th harmonic number of order $m$.

This problem was proposed by Cornel Valean.

Here is integral expression of the sum $\displaystyle -\int_0^1\frac{\ln x\operatorname{Li}_2(x^2)}{1-x^2}\ dx\quad $.

Best Answer

A solution using Abel's summation as suggested by Cornel.

Let $\ \displaystyle S\ $ denote $\ \displaystyle \sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{(2k+1)^2}\ $ and by using Abel's summation:

$\displaystyle\sum_{k=1}^n a_k b_k=A_nb_{n+1}+\sum_{k=1}^{n}A_k\left(b_k-b_{k+1}\right)\ $ where $\ \displaystyle A_n=\sum_{i=1}^n a_i\ $

and letting let $\ \displaystyle a_k=\frac{1}{(2k+1)^2}\ $ , $\ \displaystyle b_k=H_k^{(2)}$, we get

\begin{align} \sum_{k=1}^n\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{(2k+1)^2}&=\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{H_{n+1}^{(2)}}{(2i+1)^2}-\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{(k+1)^2}\left(\sum_{i=1}^k\frac{1}{(2i+1)^2}\right)\\ &=\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{H_{n+1}^{(2)}}{(2i+1)^2}-\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{(k+1)^2}\left(H_{2k}^{(2)}-\frac14H_{k}^{(2)}+\frac{1}{(2k+1)^2}-1\right) \end{align} Letting $n$ approach $\infty$, we get \begin{align} S&=\zeta(2)\sum_{i=1}^\infty\frac{1}{(2i+1)^2}-\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{(k+1)^2}\left(H_{2k}^{(2)}-\frac14H_{k}^{(2)}\right)\\ &\quad-\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{(k+1)^2(2k+1)^2}+\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac1{(k+1)^2}\\ &=\zeta(2)\left(\frac34\zeta(2)-1\right)-\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{k^2}\left(H_{2k}^{(2)}-\frac14H_{k}^{(2)}-\frac{1}{(2k-1)^2}\right)\\ &\quad-\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{(k+1)^2(2k+1)^2}+\zeta(2)-1\\ &=\frac{15}8\zeta(4)-1-\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{k^2}\left(H_{2k}^{(2)}-\frac14H_{k}^{(2)}\right)+\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{k^2(2k-1)^2}-\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{(k+1)^2(2k+1)^2}\\ &=\frac{15}8\zeta(4)-1-\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{k^2}\left(H_{2k}^{(2)}-\frac14H_{k}^{(2)}\right)+1\\ &\quad+\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{(k+1)^2(2k+1)^2}-\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{(k+1)^2(2k+1)^2}\\ &=\frac{15}8\zeta(4)-\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1}{k^2}\left(H_{2k}^{(2)}-\frac14H_{k}^{(2)}\right)\\ &=\frac{15}8\zeta(4)-4\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{H_{2k}^{(2)}}{(2k)^2}+\frac14\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{k^2}\\ &=\frac{15}8\zeta(4)-4\left(\frac12\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{H_{k}^{(2)}}{k^2}+\frac12\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{(-1)^kH_k^{(2)}}{k^2}\right)+\frac14\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{k^2}\\ &=\frac{15}8\zeta(4)-\frac74\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{k^2}-2\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{(-1)^kH_k^{(2)}}{k^2} \end{align} By plugging $\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{(-1)^nH_n^{(2)}}{n^2}=-4\operatorname{Li}_4\left(\frac12\right)+\frac{51}{16}\zeta(4)-\frac72\ln2\zeta(3)+\ln^22\zeta(2)-\frac16\ln^42\ $

( proved here ) and $\ \displaystyle\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{k^2}=\frac74\zeta(4)\ $, we get the closed form of $\ S$