Another look at Zagier's formula for multiple zeta values involving Hoffman elements (Q2672703)

Multiple zeta values, usually abbreviated MZV's, are real numbers defined by the convergent series \[\zeta(k_1, k_2,\ldots, k_r)=\sum_{0<n_1<n_2<\ldots < n_r} \frac{1}{n_1^{k_1}n_2^{k_2}\ldots n_r^{k_r}},\] where \(k_1, k_2, \ldots, k_r\) are positive integers with \(k_r>1\). In particular, \textit{D. Zagier} [Ann. Math. (2) 175, No. 2, 977--1000 (2012; Zbl 1268.11121)] showed that the family of MZV's defined by \[ H(r,s)=\zeta(\underbrace{2, 2,\ldots, 2}_r, 3, \underbrace{2, 2, \ldots, 2}_s)\] can be expressed explicitly as a \(\mathbb{Q}\)-linear combination of products \(\pi^{2m}\zeta(2n+1)\), with \(m+n = r+s+1\). More precisely \[H(r,s)=2\sum_{k=1}^{r+s+1} (-1)^k c_{r,s} \zeta(2k+1) \zeta(\underbrace{2, 2,\ldots,2}_{r+s+1-k}),\] where \(c_{r, s}^k=\binom{2k}{2r+2}-\left (1-\frac{1}{2^{2k}}\right ) \binom{2k}{2s+1}\) and \(r, s\) are positive integers. In the paper under review, the author gives an elementary proof of Zagier's formula for the special case \(s=0\) using rational zeta series involving the values \(\zeta(2n)\).