# Integral $\int_0^\infty \frac{dx}{x^5\left(e^{\frac{a}{x}}-1\right)}$

I was integrating the Planck distribution and came across this integral:

$$\int_0^\infty \frac {1}{x^5\cdot \left(e^{\frac{a}{x}}-1\right)} dx$$

$$\int_0^\infty \frac {1}{x^5\cdot \left(e^{\frac{1}{x}}-1\right)}dx = \frac {\pi^4}{15}$$

and I could analytically work out that the general solution is

$$\int_0^\infty \frac {1}{x^5\cdot \left(e^{\frac{a}{x}}-1\right)}dx = \frac {\pi^4}{15a^4}$$

I was wondering how one could prove this, and if my general solution is accurate or not.

• Did you not just compute it? Why do you think your computation might be wrong? – Paul Oct 1 '19 at 13:21
• Missing $dx$ in equations. – StephenG Oct 1 '19 at 13:28

We can do something more generally for $$a>0, b>2$$: $$\int_0^\infty \frac {1}{x^{b}\left(e^{\frac{a}{x}}-1\right)}dx\overset{\frac{a}{x}=t}=\frac{1}{a^{b-1}}\int_0^\infty \frac{t^{b-2}}{e^t-1}dt=\frac{\zeta(b-1)\Gamma(b-1)}{a^{b-1}}$$ Above follows using the integral definition for the zeta function.
And indeed for the case $$b=5$$ we obtain the announced result.