Multiple polylogarithms: A brief survey (Q2782406)

The multiple polylogarithm is defined by NEWLINE\[NEWLINELi_{s_1, \dots, s_k} (z_1, \dots,z_k)= \sum_{n_1> \cdots> n_k>0} \prod^k_{j=1} {z_j^{n_j}\over n_j^{ s_j}},NEWLINE\]NEWLINE where \(s_1,\dots, s_k\) and \(z_1,\dots,z_n\) are complex numbers suitably restricted so that the sum converges. When \(z_1=\cdots =z_k=1\), the multiple polylogarithm reduces to a multiple zeta function NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\zeta(s_1, \dots,s_k)= \sum_{n_1> \cdots>n_u >0}\prod^k_{j=1} {1\over n_j^{s_j}}.NEWLINE\]NEWLINE As the title of the paper indicates, a survey of many results and conjectures for multiple polylogarithms and multiple zeta functions is given. Generally, proofs do not appear here, but an extensive list of references is provided. A new integral representation for the multiple polylogarithm is given, and a \(q\)-analogue of the shuffle product is developed.NEWLINENEWLINEFor the entire collection see [Zbl 0980.00024].