The Mahler measure of a Calabi-Yau threefold and special \(L\)-values (Q2454434)

The Mahler measure \(m(P)\) of a non-zero Laurent polynomial \(P(X_1,\dots,X_n)\) is defined by \[ m(P)=\int_0^1\cdots\int_0^1\log\left(\left|P(\exp(2\pi i\theta_1)),\dots,P(\exp(2\pi i\theta_n))\right|\right)d\theta_1\cdots d\theta_n. \] The author considers the Laurent polynomials \[ R_k=(x+x^{-1})(y+y^{-1})(z+z^{-1})(w+w^{-1})-k, \] and provides in Theorem 1.1 the explicit formula \[ m(R_{16})=8L'(f,0)-28\zeta'(-2), \] where \(\zeta(s)\) is the Riemann zeta-function, and \(f(\tau) = (\eta(2\tau)\eta(4\tau))^4\), \(\eta(\tau)\) being the Dedekind \(\eta\)-function. This formula can be also written in the form \[ m(R_{16})={192\over\pi^4}L(f,4)+{7\zeta(3)\over\pi^2}. \] The proof is based on a series of interesting identities. One expresses \(m(R_k)\) for \(|k|\geq16\) using hypergeometric series (Theorem 1.2), another (Theorem 2.1) relates \(L(f,4)\) and \(\zeta(3)\) to elliptic integrals, and Theorem 3.1 brings the equality \[ -{14\zeta(3)\over\pi^2}+4\log 2 = 1+\sum_{n=1}^\infty{4n+1\over2n(2n+1)}{{2n\choose n}}^4{1\over2^{8n}}. \]