Finding $\sum_{n=2}^{\infty} (\zeta^k(n) – 1)$ for $k \in \mathbb{Z}_{\ge 0}$

asymptoticsriemann-zetasequences-and-series

I am interested in finding the value of $$\sum_{n=2}^{\infty} (P(\zeta(n)) – P(1))$$

where $P(x)$ is a polynomial in $x$. Solving this is analogous to solving $$f(k)=\sum_{n=2}^{\infty} (\zeta^k(n) – 1) $$ and then adding up the results. Trivially, $f(0) = 0$. It is also not hard to show that $f(1) = 1$, by rearranging the sums and rewriting as a sum of geometric series, such as in this answer. For calculating $f(2)$, I did as follows: $$\sum_{n=2}^{\infty}\left(\left(\sum_{m=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{m^n}\right)^2-1\right)$$

Expanding the squared term yields $$\sum_{n=2}^{\infty} \left(\sum_{m=2}^{\infty} \frac{1}{m^{2n}} + \sum_{m=2}^{\infty}\sum_{p=1}^{m-1}\frac{2}{m^n p^n}\right)$$

This can be simplified to $$\frac{7}{4} – \zeta(2) + 2 \sum_{n=2}^{\infty} \sum_{m=2}^{\infty}\sum_{p=1}^{m-1} \frac{1}{m^n p^n}$$

By summing over $n$, this can be simplified to $$\frac{7}{4} – \zeta(2) + 2 \sum_{m=2}^{\infty}\sum_{p=1}^{m-1} \frac{1}{mp(mp-1)}$$

The summand can be broken up to get $$\frac{7}{4} – \zeta(2) + 2 \sum_{m=2}^{\infty}\sum_{p=1}^{m-1} \left(\frac{1}{mp-1} – \frac{1}{mp}\right) = \frac{7}{4} – \zeta(2) + 2 \sum_{m=2}^{\infty} \frac{H_{m-1-\frac{1}{m}} – H_{-\frac{1}{m}} – H_{m-1}}{m}$$

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to simplify that last sum.

My questions:

$1.$ What is a closed form for $f(k)$ (or at least for $f(2)$)?

$2.$ If a closed form does not exist, what is the power series representation?

Taking derivatives with respect to $x$, I get that the series representation for $f$ is $$f(x) = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \sum_{m=2}^{\infty} \frac{\ln(\zeta(m))^n}{n!} x^n$$

However evaluating $\sum_{m=2}^{\infty}\ln(\zeta(m))^n$ seems to be even more difficult considering $\zeta(m)$ is defined by a sum.

Best Answer

Concerning the last sum $$S=\sum_{m=2}^{\infty} \frac{H_{m-1-\frac{1}{m}} - H_{-\frac{1}{m}} - H_{m-1}}{m}$$ I also do not think that a closed form exist.

However, I think that we could have a good approximation of it making $$S_p=\sum_{m=2}^{p} \frac{H_{m-1-\frac{1}{m}} - H_{-\frac{1}{m}} - H_{m-1}}{m}+\sum_{m=p+1}^{\infty} \frac{H_{m-1-\frac{1}{m}} - H_{-\frac{1}{m}} - H_{m-1}}{m}$$ and, for the second sum, use the asymptotics and get for the summand $$\frac{\pi ^2}{6 m^2}+\frac{\zeta (3)-1}{m^3}+\frac{\pi ^4-45}{90 m^4}+\frac{3\zeta (5)-2}{3m^5}+\frac{2 \pi ^6-945}{1890 m^6}+O\left(\frac{1}{m^7}\right)$$ This makes $S_p$ converging "relatively" fast $$\left( \begin{array}{cc} p & S_p \\ 2 & 1.179744989 \\ 3 & 1.180068403 \\ 4 & 1.180106530 \\ 5 & 1.180113997 \\ 6 & 1.180115992 \\ 7 & 1.180116649 \\ 8 & 1.180116902 \\ 9 & 1.180117011 \\ 10 & 1.180117063 \\ 11 & 1.180117089 \\ 12 & 1.180117103 \\ 13 & 1.180117111 \\ 14 & 1.180117115 \\ 15 & 1.180117118 \\ 16 & 1.180117120 \\ 17 & 1.180117121 \\ 18 & 1.180117122 \\ 19 & 1.180117123 \\ 20 & 1.180117123 \end{array} \right)$$

Computed with illimited precision $$S=1.180117124088625547636095943915451285052438548709796233538676614110$$ which is not recognized by inverse symbolic calculators.