Supernumary polylogarithmic ladders and related functional equations

Summary The nature of the polylogarithmic ladder is briefly reviewed, and its close relationship to the associated cyclotomic equation explained. Generic results for the base determined by the family of equationsu ^p +u ^q = 1 are developed, and many new supernumary ladders, existing for particular values ofp andq, are discussed in relation to theirad hoc cyclotomic equations. Results for ordersn from 6 through 9, for which no relevant functional equations are known, are reviewed; and new results for the base , where ³ + = 1, are developed through the sixth order.Special results for the exponentp from 4 through 6 are determined whenever a new cyclotomic equation can be constructed. Only the equationu ⁵+u ³ = 1 has so far resisted this process. The need for the constraint (p,q) = 1 is briefly considered if redundant formulas are to be avoided.The equationu ^6m+1 +u ^6r–1 = 1 is discussed and some valid results deduced. This equation is divisible byu ² –u + 1, and the quotient polynomial is useful for constructing cyclotomic equations. The casem = 1,r = 2 is the first example encountered for which no valid ladders have yet been found.New functional equations to give the supernumary -ladders of index 24 are developed, but their construction runs into difficulty at the third order, apparently requiring the introduction of an adjoint set of variables that blocks the extension to the fourth order.A demonstration, based on the indices of existing accessible and supernumary ladders, indicates that functional equations based on arguments ±z ^m (1–z) ^r (1 +z) ^s are not capable of extension to the sixth order.There are some miscellaneous supernumary ladders that seem incapable, at this time, of analytic proof, and these are briefly discussed. In conclusion, applications of ladders are considered, and attention drawn to the existence of ladders with the base on the unit circle giving rise to Clausenfunction formulas which may play an important role inK-theory.