How to prove that $\sum\limits_{n=1}^\infty\frac{(n-1)!}{n\prod\limits_{i=1}^n(a+i)}=\sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty \frac{1}{(a+k)^2}$ for $a>-1$? A problem on my (last week's) real analysis homework boiled down to proving that, for $a>-1$,
$$\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{(n-1)!}{n\prod\limits_{i=1}^n(a+i)}=\sum_{k=1}^\infty \frac{1}{(a+k)^2}.$$ Mathematica confirms this is true, but I couldn't even prove the convergence of the original series (the one on the left), much less demonstrate that it equaled this other sum; the ratio test is inconclusive, and the root test and others seem hopeless. It was (and is) quite a  frustrating problem. Can someone explain how to go about tackling this?

Since at least J. M. asked for it, here's another solution for the case
when $a$ is a natural number.
I'll use the forward difference operator $\Delta$, defined by
$\Delta f(n) = f(n+1) - f(n)$, and the falling factorial defined
by
$$
n^{\underline{a}} =
\begin{cases}
n(n-1)(n-2) \dots (n-a+1), & a > 0, \\
1, & a=0 \\
\frac{1}{(n+1)(n+2) \dots (n+|a|)}, & a < 0,
\end{cases}
$$
and satisfying $\Delta n^{\underline{a}} = a n^{\underline{a-1}}$.
The summand, which I'll denote by $F_a(n)$, can be rewritten as
$$
F_a(n)
= \frac{(n-1)!}{n\prod_{i=1}^n(a+i)}
= \frac{(n-1)! a!}{n (a+n)!}
= \frac{a!}{n \cdot n(n+1)(n+2) \dots (n+a)}
$$
$$= \frac{(a-1)!}{n} \left( -(-a) (n-1)^{\underline{-(a+1)}}\right)
= -\frac{(a-1)!}{n} \Delta\left( (n-1)^{\underline{-a}}\right).
$$
Using the rule $\Delta(f(n)g(n)) = \Delta f(n) \, g(n+1) + f(n) \Delta g(n)$,
we get
$$
F_a(n)
= - \Delta\left( \frac{(a-1)!}{n} (n-1)^{\underline{-a}}\right)
  + \Delta\left( \frac{(a-1)!}{n} \right) \, n^{\underline{-a}}
$$
$$
= - \Delta\left( \frac{(a-1)!}{n \cdot n (n+1) \dots (n+a-1)} \right)
  + (a-1)! \left( \frac{1}{n+1} - \frac{1}{n} \right) \frac{1}{(n+1)\dots (n+a)}
$$
$$= - \Delta\left( \frac{(a-1)!}{n \cdot n(n+1) \dots (n+a-1)} \right)
  + F_{a-1}(n+1) - (a-1)! \Delta\left( \frac{(n-1)^{\underline{-a}}}{-a} \right).
$$
Summing over $n \ge 1$ gives (because of telescoping in the sums-of-deltas)
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} F_a(n)
= \frac{(a-1)!}{1 \cdot a!} + \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} F_{a-1}(n+1)
  - \frac{(a-1)!}{a} 0^{-\underline{a}}
$$
$$
= \frac{1}{a} + \sum_{m=2}^{\infty} F_{a-1}(m)
  - \frac{1}{a^2}
$$
$$
= \sum_{m=1}^{\infty} F_{a-1}(m) - \frac{1}{a^2}
$$
(since $F_{a-1}(1) = 1/a$).
Finally, since $F_0(n) = 1/n^2$, we obtain after using this result to work our way down $n$ steps that
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} F_a(n)
= \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} F_{a-1}(n) - \frac{1}{a^2}
= \dots = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} F_0(n) - \left( \frac{1}{a^2} + \dots + \frac{1}{1^2} \right)
= \sum_{n=a+1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2}
= \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{(k+a)^2}.
$$
