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Zeta Values

Multiple zeta values (MZV) are a family of real numbers obtained from a generalization of the Riemann zeta function. For r 1 and n1 , n2 , . . . , nr positive integers with nr > 1, we dene the multiple zeta value (n1 , n2 , . . . , nr ) =
n2 k n1 k2 0<k1 <k2 <<kr 1

1 . nr kr

The integer r is called the depth and n1 + n2 + + nr is called the weight of (n1 , n2 , . . . , nr ). The multiple zeta values of depth 1 are simply values of the Riemann zeta function

( s) =
k=1

1 ks

at integers greater than 1. Euler was the rst to show that the values (2n) for positive integers n are all rational multiples of 2n : (2n) = (1) where B2n is the nth Bernoulli number: x = x e 1 Bn
n0 2n n+1 B2n (2 )

2(2n)!

xn . n

This result implies that the values (2n) are not algebraically independent: for example, (2) = 2 /6 and (4) = 4 /90, hence 90 (2)2 = 62 (4). Multiple zeta values satisfy many mysterious algebraic relations in addition to these. Understanding the precise algebraic structure of these values is a topic of much interest in modern number theory.

Questions and conjectures

The denition of multiple zeta values as a sum over a simplex naturally gives rise to relations due to the combinatorics of simplices. These relations imply that the product of any two multiple zeta values is a Z-linear combination of multiple zeta values. Since these relations are also weight-preserving, it is possible to think of the MZV as spanning a graded algebra. Let MZVm denote the Q-subspace of R spanned by MZV of weight m, and dene MZV =
m0

MZVm .

The precise dimension of MZVm is an open question in number theory. Computing this dimension is tantamount to classifying all relations on multiple zeta values. Let us initially naively collect generators for the rst several MZVm below. Note that we have already proved the algebraic dependence of (4), (1, 3), and (2, 2), so dim MZV4 is at most 2.

m 0 1 2 3 4

MZVm spanned by 1 0 (2) (3), (1, 2) (4), (1, 3), (2, 2), (1, 1, 2)

A theorem due to Zagier and Terasoma bounds dim MZVm by an exponential in m, and in particular proves that dim MZV4 = 1. There must therefore some relation other than shue and percolation that implies the algebraic dependence of (4) and (1, 1, 2). Our goal is to discover a new class of relations on MZV that conjecturally arise from cusp forms of SL2 (Z), ultimately coming a step closer to fully characterizing the algebraic structure of the multiple zeta values. A brief discussion of our work is given in the next section.

Periods of modular forms

A holomorphic function f on the complex upper half-plane is called modular of weight k if it satises the functional equation f ( ) = (c + d)k f ( ) for any = a b c d SL2 (Z) where is the standard fractional linear transformation = a + b . c + d

A modular function that extends holomorphically to the point i is called a modular form. If f is a modular form with f (i) = 0, f is called a cusp form. For cusp forms f, g of weights k, l the iterated integral
i

f (w)g (z )(aw b)k (a z b )l dwdz

0

are polynomials in the a, a , b, b whose coecients conjecturally arise in algebraic relations on multiple zeta values. We seek to evaluate these integrals and explain their connection to MZV.

References
[1] K.-T. Chen: Iterated path integrals, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 83 (1977), 831-879. [2] R. Hain: Lectures on the Hodge-De Rham theory of the fundamental group, 2005. [3] G. Racinet: Double m elange des polylogarithmes multiples aux racines de lunit e, Publ. Math. Inst. Hautes. Etudes Sci. No. 95 (2002), 185-231 [4] T. Terasoma: Mixed Tate motives and multiple zeta values , Invent. Math. 149 (2002), 339-369. [5] D. Zagier: Values of zeta functions and their applications, First European Congress of Mathematics, Vol. II (Paris, 1992), 497-512, Progr. Math., 120, Birkha user, Basel, 1994