Simpler closed form for $\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{\Gamma\left(n+\frac{1}{2}\right)}{(2n+1)^4\,4^n\,n!}$

I'm trying to find a closed form of this sum: $$S=\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{\Gamma\left(n+\frac{1}{2}\right)}{(2n+1)^4\,4^n\,n!}.\tag{1}$$ WolframAlpha gives a large expressions containing multiple generalized hypergeometric functions, that is quite difficult to handle. After some simplification it looks as follows: $$S=\frac{\pi^{3/2}}{3}-\sqrt{\pi}-\frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{324}\left[9\,_3F_2\left(\begin{array}{c}\tfrac{3}{2},\tfrac{3}{2},\tfrac{3}{2}\\\tfrac{5}{2},\tfrac{5}{2}\end{array}\middle|\tfrac{1}{4}\right)\\+3\,_4F_3\left(\begin{array}{c}\tfrac{3}{2},\tfrac{3}{2},\tfrac{3}{2},\tfrac{3}{2}\\\tfrac{5}{2},\tfrac{5}{2},\tfrac{5}{2}\end{array}\middle|\tfrac{1}{4}\right)+\,_5F_4\left(\begin{array}{c}\tfrac{3}{2},\tfrac{3}{2},\tfrac{3}{2},\tfrac{3}{2},\tfrac{3}{2}\\\tfrac{5}{2},\tfrac{5}{2},\tfrac{5}{2},\tfrac{5}{2}\end{array}\middle|\tfrac{1}{4}\right)\right].\tag{2}$$ I wonder if there is a simpler form. Elementary functions and simpler special funtions (like Bessel, gamma, zeta, polylogarithm, polygamma, error function etc) are okay, but not hypergeometric functions.

Could you help me with it? Thanks!


First, in view of Legrende's duplication formula, $$S=\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{\Gamma\left(n+\frac{1}{2}\right)}{(2n+1)^4\,4^n\,n!}=2\sqrt{\pi}\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{\Gamma(2n)}{\Gamma(n)\,n!\,(2n+1)^4\, 16^n} \\=-\frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{3}\int_0^1 \ln^3(x)\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{\Gamma(2n)}{\Gamma(n)\,n!}\left(\frac{x^2}{16}\right)^ndx\\ =-\sqrt{\pi}-\frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{6}\int_0^1\frac{\ln^3(x)}{\sqrt{1-x^2/4}}dx=-\sqrt{\pi}-\frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{3}\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{6}}\ln^3(2\sin x)dx$$

Claim: for $0<a\leq \frac{\pi}{2}$,

$$\int_0^a \ln^3\left(\frac{\sin x}{\sin a}\right)dx\tag{0}=\frac{4a-3\pi}{2}a^2\ln(2\sin a)-\frac{3\pi}{4}\zeta(3)+3\left(\frac{\pi}{2}-a\right)\Re\left(\frac12 \operatorname{Li}_3(e^{2ia})+\operatorname{Li}_3(1-e^{2ia})\right)+3\Im\left(\frac14\operatorname{Li}_4(e^{2ia})+\operatorname{Li}_4(1-e^{2ia})\right) $$

Proof. The idea is exactly identical to the proof displayed in this question. The proof is rather tedious (and obviously inefficient), and ends with a somewhat of a cancellation (implying the existence of a shortcut) , so I omit the boring algebra and outline the main ideas, which can be repeated systematically to obtain closed forms for even higher powers of logsine.

things to know: $$\ln(2\sin x)=\ln(1-e^{2ix})+i\left(\frac{\pi}{2}-x\right) \tag{1}$$ $$\small\int\frac{\ln^3(1-x)}{x}dx=\ln^3(1-x)\ln(x)+3\ln^2(1-x)\text{Li}_2(1-x)-6\ln(1-x)\text{Li}_3(1-x)+6\text{Li}_4(1-x) \tag{2}$$ $$\int_0^a x\ln(2\sin x)dx=-\frac{a}{2}\text{Cl}_2(2a)-\frac14\Re\text{Li}_3(e^{2ia})+\frac{\zeta(3)}{4}\tag{3}$$ $$\int_0^a x^2\ln(2\sin x)dx=-\frac{a^2}{2}\text{Cl}_2(2a)-\frac{a}{2}\Re\text{Li}_3(e^{2ia})+\frac14\Im\text{Li}_4(e^{2ia})\tag{4}$$ $$\int_0^a \ln(\sin x)dx=-a\ln2-\frac12 \text{Cl}_2(2a)\tag{5}$$ $$\int_0^a \ln^2(\sin x)dx=\frac{a^3}{3}+a\ln^2 2-a\ln^2(2\sin a)-\ln(\sin a)\text{Cl}_2(2a)-\Im\text{Li}_3(1-e^{2ia})\tag{6}$$

$(1)$ is trivial, $(2)$ is not too hard to find, $(5)$ and $(6)$ are shown in the linked answer, and $(3)$&$(4)$ are easily found using $\,\,\ln(2\sin x)=-\sum_{n\geq1}\frac{\cos(2xn)}{n}$.

It is obvious that since we have $(5)$ and $(6)$, the claim $(0)$ depends on a closed form for $\displaystyle\int_0^a \ln^3(\sin x)dx$, and the latter may be evaluated in terms of $\displaystyle\int_0^a \ln^3(2\sin x)dx$.

But, with the help of $(1)$, $$\int_0^a \ln^3(2\sin x)dx=\Re\int_0^a \ln^3(1-e^{2ix})dx+3\int_0^a \ln(2\sin x)\left(\frac{\pi}{2}-x\right)^2dx\\ =\frac12\Im\int_1^{e^{2ia}}\frac{\ln^3(1-x)}{x} dx+3\int_0^a \ln(2\sin x)\left(\frac{\pi}{2}-x\right)^2dx$$

(Same idea @RandomVariable had in this answer.)

Now we employ $(2),(3),(4),$ and $(5)$. Some expressions cancel and claim follows.$\square $

This result, together with the fact that $e^{i\pi/3}$ and $1-e^{i\pi/3}$ are conjugates, yields $\displaystyle \int_0^{\frac{\pi}{6}} \ln^3(2\sin x)dx=-\frac{\pi}{4}\zeta(3)-\frac94\Im\text{Li}_4(e^{i\pi/3})$, and

$$S=\sqrt{\pi}\left(\frac{\pi}{12}\zeta(3)+\frac{9}{12}\Im\text{Li}_4(e^{i\pi/3})-1\right)$$

This form is equivalent to @user153012's form, as $$\frac{2}{\sqrt{3}}\Im\text{Li}_4(e^{i\pi/3})=\sum_{n\geq 0}\frac{(-1)^n}{(3n+1)^4}+\sum_{n\geq 0}\frac{(-1)^n}{(3n+2)^4} \\=\frac{\psi^{(3)}\left(\frac13\right)}{216}-\frac{\pi^4}{81}$$


Also, as noted in the comments in the linked question, this may be used to write a closed form for a certain hypergeometric function.


This serves as a generalisation for the series, because $\displaystyle \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{\Gamma(n+1/2)}{(2n+1)^4 n!}a^{2n}=-\sqrt{\pi}\left(1+\frac1{6a}\int_0^{\sin^{-1} a}\ln^3\left(\frac{\sin x}{a}\right)dx\right)$

As an example, using closed forms for trilogarithms displayed in this post, we have $$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}{4}}\ln^3(\sqrt{2}\sin x)dx=-\frac{\pi^3}{128}\ln2-\frac{3\pi}{8}\zeta(3)+\frac34\beta(4)+3\Im\text{Li}_4(1-i)$$

where $\beta(4)=\Im\text{Li}_4(i)$ is a value of Dirichlet's beta function.

Or equivalently, $$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{\Gamma\left(n+\frac12\right)}{(2n+1)^4\,2^n\,n!}=-\sqrt{\pi}-\frac{\sqrt{2\pi}}{6}\left(-\frac{\pi^3}{128}\ln2-\frac{3\pi}{8}\zeta(3)+\frac34\beta(4)+3\Im\text{Li}_4(1-i)\right)$$


Another possible closed form of $S$ is the following. It containts also a generalized hypergeometric function, but just one.

$$S = \frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{648} {_6F_5}\left(\begin{array}c\ 1,\frac32,\frac32,\frac32,\frac32,\frac32\\2,\frac52,\frac52,\frac52,\frac52\end{array}\middle|\,\frac14\right).$$

WolframAlpha's simplification gives back your form.


By now, I've found a closed-form by doing some integral evaluation, a lot of hypergeometric, polylogarithm and polygamma manipulation. $$ S = \sqrt{\pi}\left(\frac{\pi}{12}\zeta(3)+\frac{1}{192\sqrt3}\psi^{(3)}\left(\tfrac13\right)-\frac{\pi^4}{72\sqrt3}-1\right). $$