Finite multiple zeta values, symmetric multiple zeta values and unified multiple zeta functions (Q2234899)

The author defines the function \[ \zeta_{\mathcal U}\left(s_{1}, \ldots, s_{r}\right):=\sum_{i=0}^{r}(-1)^{s_{i+1}+\cdots+s_{r}} \zeta\left(s_{1}, \ldots, s_{i}\right) \zeta\left(s_{r}, \ldots, s_{i+1}\right), \] where \[ \zeta\left(s_{1}, \ldots, s_{r}\right):=\sum_{0<n_{1}<\cdots<n_{r}} \frac{1}{n_{1}^{s_{1}} \cdots n_{r}^{s_{r}}} \] is the ordinary multiple zeta function. The author calls \(\zeta_{\mathcal U}\) the symmetric multiple zeta function. Many properties of this function are discussed. It turns out, for example, that \(\zeta_{\mathcal U}\) is entire, it is related to the symmetric multizeta values, and so on. Some special values of the the symmetric multiple zeta function are deduced as well, and extensions of this function are studied. Interestingly, it is shown in the paper, that the so-called Kaneko-Zagier correspondence on nonpositive integers holds for special values of \(\zeta_{\mathcal U}\).