Closed-form evaluation of the cyclic four-electron atomic correlation integral

Abstract

For positive exponents ${\alpha }_1,\dots ,{\alpha }_4$ we evaluate the cyclic four-electron Slater integral, the topology recorded as case V in Bonham's 1965 classification, in a finite real expression of weight at most three. The general answer is an explicit sum of eighteen blocks involving only logarithms, dilogarithms and trilogarithms of rational functions of the exponents; all logarithm arguments are positive and all nonconstant polylogarithm arguments may be placed in $(-1,1)$, so no radical, generalized polylogarithm, contour prescription or unevaluated limit is required. At equal exponents the value collapses to $I(\lambda ,\lambda ,\lambda ,\lambda )=(4\pi {)}^4{\lambda }^{-4}[{\mathrm{Li}}_3(1/4)/2-7\zeta (3)/24+{\pi }^2\log 2/12-2{\log }^{3}2/3]$, a weight-three period over $\mathbb{Q}$ ramified only at 2 and 3. Three independently implemented numerical routes agree at four exponent tuples to at least 32 decimal places, an exact-dyadic evaluation of the classical formula gives eight 100-place certificates, and three published four-electron calibration values are reproduced to every printed digit. We also prove the small- and large-exponent limit laws with closed-form coefficients, dihedral symmetry, and a strict rearrangement law for the three inequivalent cyclic placements of four exponents. The formula applies to the four-cycle and does not evaluate the two chorded topologies.