\(q\)-series and \(L\)-functions related to half-derivatives of the Andrews-Gordon identity (Q850526)

The main theorem of this paper relates values of certain \(L\)-functions at negative integers to certain \(q\)-series evaluated at \(q=e^{-t}\): \[ X_m^{(a)}(e^{-t}) = e^{\frac{(2m-2a-1)^2}{8(2m+1)}t} \sum_{n \geq 0} \frac{T_m^{(a)}(n)}{n!} \left(\frac{t}{8(2m+1)}\right)^n, \] where the \(q\)-series \(X_m^{(a)}(q)\) is defined (using the usual \(q\)-series notation) for positive integers \(m\) and non-negative integers \(a = 0,1,\dots,m-1\) by \[ X_m^{(a)}(q) = \sum_{k_1,k_2,\dots,k_m \geq 0} (q)_{k_m}q^{k_1^2+\cdots+k_{m-1}^2+k_{a+1}+\cdots+k_{m-1}} \prod_{i=1}^{m-1} \begin{bmatrix} k_{i+1} + \delta_{i,a} \\ k_i \end{bmatrix}_q \] and the \(T\)-series is given by \[ T_m^{(a)}(n) = \frac{1}{2}(-1)^{n+1}L(-2n-1,\chi_{8m+4}^{(a)}). \] Here the character \(\chi_{8m+4}^{(a)}(n)\) is \(1\) if \(n\) is \(\pm (2m-2a-1)\) modulo \(8m+4\), \(-1\) if \(n\) is \(\pm (2m+2a+3)\) modulo \(8m+4\), and \(0\) otherwise. This generalizes a ``strange'' identity of Zagier (the case \(m =1\)) and, like Zagier's identity, has interesting connections to knot theory [\textit{D. Zagier}, ``Vassiliev invariants and a strange identity related to the Dedekind eta-function'', Topology 40, No. 5, 945--960 (2001; Zbl 0989.57009)]. The main ingredient is a multiple \(q\)-series identity, related to the Andrews-Gordon identities, which is established using \(q\)-difference equations.