Secant zeta functions (Q2258957)

The authors introduce and study the secant zeta function \[ \psi (\alpha ,s)=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{\sec (\pi n\alpha )}{n^s}. \] The series converges absolutely if \(\alpha =\frac{p}{q}\) is rational with \(q\) odd and \(s>1\), or if \(\alpha\) is an algebraic irrational number and \(s\geq 2\). Using modular transformation properties of \(\psi\), the authors find its explicit values at certain quadratic irrational values of \(z\) and suggest a conjecture that \(\pi^{-2k}\psi (\sqrt{d},2k)\) is a rational number for every natural numbers \(k,d\), such that \(d\) is not a square. This conjecture was subsequently proved by \textit{P. Charollois} and \textit{M. Greenberg} [Ann. Math. Qué. 38, No. 1, 1--6 (2014; Zbl 1302.11066)].