Error functions

Nikolai G. Lehtinen
April 23, 2010

1 Error function erf x and complementary er-

ror function erfc x
(Gauss) error function is
2 Z x t2
erf x = e dt (1)
0
and has properties

erf () = 1, erf (+) = 1

erf (x) = erf (x), erf (x ) = [erf (x)]

where the asterisk denotes complex conjugation. Complementary error

function is defined as
2 Z t2
erfc x = e dt = 1 erf x (2)
x
Note also that
2 Z x t2
e dt = 1 + erf x

Another useful formula:
" #
x x
r
t2
Z

e 2 2 dt = erf
0 2 2
Some Russian authors (e.g., Mikhailovskiy, 1975; Bogdanov et al., 1976) call
erf x a Cramp function.

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2 Faddeeva function w(x)
Faddeeva (or Fadeeva) function w(x) (Fadeeva and Terentev , 1954; Poppe
and Wijers, 1990) does not have a name in Abramowitz and Stegun (1965,
ch. 7). It is also called complex error function (or probability integral) (Weide-
man, 1994; Baumjohann and Treumann, 1997, p. 310) or plasma dispersion
function (Weideman, 1994). To avoid confusion, we will reserve the last
name for Z(x), see below. Some Russian authors (e.g., Mikhailovskiy, 1975;
Bogdanov et al., 1976) call it a (complex) Cramp function and denote as
W (x). Faddeeva function is defined as
!
x2 2i Z x t2 2 2
w(x) = e 1+ e dt = ex [1 + erf (ix)] = ex erfc (ix) (3)
0

Integral representations:
2 2
i Z et dt 2ix Z et dt
w(x) = = (4)
x t 0 x2 t2
where x > 0. These integral representations can be converted to (3) using
1 Z
= 2i e2i(x+it)u du (5)
x + i t 0

3 Plasma dispersion function Z(x)

Plasma dispersion function Z(x) (Fried and Conte, 1961) is also called
Fried-Conte function (Baumjohann and Treumann, 1997, p. 268). In the
book by Mikhailovskiy (1975), notation is ZMikh (x) xZ(x), which may be
a source of confusion. Plasma dispersion function is defined as:
2
1 Z + et
Z(x) = dt (6)
t x

for x > 0, and its analytic continuation to the rest of the complex x plane
(i.e, to x 0).
Note that Z(x) is just a scaled w(x), i.e.

Z(x) i w(x)

2
We see that
2
Z ix 2 2 2
Z(x) = 2iex et dt = i ex [1 + erf (ix)] = i ex erfc (ix) (7)

One can define Z which is given by the same equation (6), but for x < 0,
and its analytic continuation to x 0. It is related to Z(x) as
2
Z(x) = Z (x ) = Z(x) 2i ex = Z(x)

4 (Jackson) function G(x)

Another function useful in plasma physics was introduced by Jackson (1960)
and does not (yet) have a name (to my knowledge):

G(x) = 1 + i xw(x) = 1 + xZ(x) = Z (x)/2 (8)
Integral representation:
2
1 Z tet dt
G(x) = (9)
t x
where again x > 0.

5 Other definitions
5.1 Dawson integral
Dawson integral F (x) (Abramowitz and Stegun, 1965, eq. 7.1.17), also
denoted as S(x) by Stix (1962, p. 178) and as daw x by Weideman (1994),
is defined as:
z 2
Z z
2 2
F (z) = e et dt = (Z(x) + i ex )/2 = xY (x)
0

(see also the definition of Y (x) below).

5.2 Fresnel functions

Fresnel functions (Abramowitz and Stegun, 1965, ch. 7) C(x), S(x) are defined
by Z x
2
C(x) + iS(x) = eit /2 dt
0

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5.3 (Sitenko) function (x)
Another function (Sitenko, 1982, p. 24) is (x), defined only for real argu-
ments: Z x
x2 2
(x) = 2xe et dt (10)
0
so that 2
G(x) = 1 (x) + i xex (11)

5.4 Function Y (x) of Fried and Conte (1961)

Fried and Conte (1961) introduce
2
ex Z x t2
Y (x) = e dt (12)
x 0
so that for real argument
2
Z(x) = i ex 2xY (x) (13)

6 Asymptotic formulas
6.1 For |x| 1 (series expansion)
See Abramowitz and Stegun (1965, 7.1.8):

X (ix)n
w(x) = 
n
 (14)
n=0 2
+1
2
The even terms give ex . To collect odd terms, note that for n 0:

3 (2n + 1)!!
 
n+ = (15)
2 2 2n

1

(2n 1)!!
n+ = (16)
2 2n
where we define (2n + 1)!! = 1 3 5 (2n + 1) and (1)!! = 1. We have
2 2ix X
(2x2 )n
w(x) = ex + (17)
n=0 (2n + 1)!!
2 X
(2x2 )n
Z(x) = i ex 2x (18)
n=0 (2n + 1)!!

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The first few terms are
2x2 4x4
!
2ix x2
w(x) e + 1 + ... (19)
3 15
x2 2x2 4x4
!
Z(x) i e 2x 1 + ... (20)
3 15
The Jackson function (8) also has a nice expansion
X
(ix)n
G(x) = 
n+1
 (21)
n=0 2
x2

X (2x2 )n
= i xe + (22)
n=0 (2n 1)!!

1 + i x 2x2 + . . . (23)

6.2 For |x| 1

These formulas are valid for /4 < arg x < 5/4 (Abramowitz and Stegun,
1965, 7.1.23), i.e., around positive imaginary axis:

i X (2m 1)!!
w(x) =
x m=0 (2x2 )m
i 1 3
 
2
1 + 2 + 4 + . . . + ex (24)
x 2x 4x

1 X (2m 1)!!
Z(x) =
x m=0 (2x2 )m
1

1 3

2
1 + 2 + 4 + . . . + i ex (25)
x 2x 4x

X (2m 1)!!
G(x) =
m=1 (2x2 )m
1 3 2
2 4 . . . + i xex (26)
2x 4x

7 Gordeyevs integral
Gordeyevs integral G (, ) (Gordeyev , 1952) is defined as
t2
" #
Z
G (, ) = exp it (1 cos t) dt, > 0 (27)
0 2

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and is calculated in terms of the plasma dispersion function Z (Paris, 1998):

!
i X n
G (, ) = e In ()Z (28)
2 n= 2

8 Plasma permittivity
The dielectric permittivity of hot (Maxwellian) plasma is (Jackson, 1960)
X X 1
(, k) = 1 + s = 1 + G(xs ) (29)
s s k 2 2s

The summation is over charged species. For each species, we have introduced
the Debye length s
0 T v
= 2
=
Nq
q q
where v = T /m is the thermal velocity and = N q 2 /(m0 ) is the plasma
frequency; and
(k u)
x=
2kv
where u is the species drift velocity.
For warm components, x 1, we have

2 3k 2 v 2
!
= 1 +
[ (k u)]2 [ (k u)]2

The dispersion relation for plasma oscillations is obtained by equating

= 0. For example, for warm electron plasma at rest,

2 3k 2 v 2
!
=1 2 1+
2

and we have the dispersion relation (for ):

2 = 2 + 3k 2 v 2 = 2 + k 2 hv 2 i

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9 Ion acoustic waves
Assume that for electrons, kv but for ions still kV (well see later
that in means Ti Te ). For x 1, we use G(x) 1 + i x:

2e 2i 3k 2 V 2
! !

= 1 + 2 2 1 + i 2 1+ (30)
k v 2kv 2

where v and V are thermal velocities of electrons and ions, respectively. From
= 0 we have
3k 2 V 2 2
 r 
1+ 2
= 2 2
1 + k 2 2e + i
k vs 2 e ke
q
where vs = e i = ZTe /M . If we neglect V and imaginary part, then we
get
kvs
=q (31)
1 + k 2 2e
For long wavelengths, it reduces to the usual relation = kvs . If we substi-
tute this into the imaginary part, we get
kvs
r q (32)
Zm
1+i 2M

The attenuation coefficient for the ion-acoustic waves is small:

s
Zm
= = kvs
8M
Neglecting V is equivalent to kV , i.e., V vs or Ti Te . Other-
wise, the ion-acoustic waves do not exist.

10 Fourier transform of Z(x)

In the plasma dielectric permittivity
expression, the argument of G(x) =
Z (x) is x = [ (k u)]/[ 2kv]. Thus, the plasma dispersion function is
usually applied in the frequency domain. The argument is dimensionless, but
is proportional to . Let us consider an inverse Fourier transform of F () =

7

Z(/[ 2]), where is a parameter which has the same dimensionality as
. (In the plasma dielectric permittivity expression, we have kv.)
Quick reminder of the time-frequency and space-wavevector Fourier trans-
forms:
ZZ
X(, k) = X(t, r)eitikr dt d3 r
ZZ
d d3 k
X(t, r) = X(, k)eit+ikr
2 (2)3

where integrals are from to +.

Using expression (6), we have
2
e 22
!
2 Z + d
F () = Z =
2 i 2

where the condition that > 0 is implemented by adding a small imaginary

part to , i.e., + i. We notice that the above expression is a
convolution which simply gives a product in the t-domain:
Z +
d

F () = F1 ( )F2 ( ) = F (t) = F1 (t)F2 (t)
2
where
1 2 2 t2
F1 () = 2 e 22 = F1 (t) = e 2
2
and
i
F2 () = 2i = F2 (t) = 2iH(t)
+ i
where H(t) is the Heaviside (step) function, defined to be H(t) = 0 for t < 0
and H(t) = 1 for t > 0. (The value at t = 0 is not important, but most often
is assumed to be 1/2.) The last inverse Fourier trasform is accomplished by
using the usual technique of integrating over a closed contour in the plane
of complex around the pole at i and taking a residue. Note that the
Fourier transform between F2 (t) and F2 () illuminates the physical sense of
the trick used in equation (5).
Thus,

!
2 t2
F () = Z = F (t) = 2iH(t)e 2
2

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The derivative G(x) = Z (x)/2 is found by using d/d it:
!
d 2 t2
FG () = G = F () = FG (t) = 2 tH(t)e 2
2 2 d

The shift by = (k u) is accomplished using the property

F ( ) = eit F (t)

Finally, we have the dielectric permittivity in time-wavevector domain:

k2 vs
2 t2

2s e i(kus )t
X X
(t, k) = (t) + s (t, k) = (t) + tH(t) 2 (33)
s s

where the delta function is obtained from transforming 1. The same an-
swer may be obtained from the first principles by calculating the polarization
created by a delta-function electric field in the time-space domain and con-
verting r k. But this is a completely different topic.

References
Abramowitz, M., and I. A. Stegun (1965), Handbook of Mathematical Func-
tions with Formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables, Dover.

Baumjohann, W., and R. A. Treumann (1997), Basic Space Plasma Physics,

Imperial College Press, London.

Bogdanov, E. P., Y. A. Romanov, and S. A. Shamov (1976), Kinetic the-

ory of beam instability in periodic systems, Radiophysics and Quantum
Electronics, 19 (2), 212217, doi:10.1007/BF01038529.

Fadeeva, V. N., and N. M. Terentev (1954), Tables of Values of the Probabil-

ity Integral for Complex Arguments, State Publishing House for Technical
Theoretical Literature, Moscow.

Fried, B. D., and S. D. Conte (1961), The Plasma Dispersion Function, Aca-
demic Press, New York.

Gordeyev, G. V. (1952), Plasma oscillations in a magnetic field,

Sov. Phys. JETP, 6, 660669.

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Jackson, E. A. (1960), Drift instabilites in a maxwellian plasma, Phys. Fluids,
3 (5), 786, doi:10.1063/1.1706125.

Mikhailovskiy, A. B. (1975), Theory of Plasma Instabilities, Atomizdat, in

Russian.

Paris, R. B. (1998), The asymptotic expansion of gordeyevs integral,

Zeitschrift fur Angewandte Mathematik und Physik (ZAMP), 49 (2), 322
338, doi:10.1007/PL00001486.

Poppe, G. P. M., and C. M. J. Wijers (1990), More efficient computation of

the complex error function, ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software,
16 (1), 3846, doi:10.1145/77626.77629.

Sitenko, A. G. (1982), Fluctuations and Non-linear Wave Interactions in

Plasmas, Pergamon Press, New York.

Stix, T. H. (1962), The Theory of Plasma Waves, McGraw-Hill Book Com-

pany, New York.

Weideman, J. A. C. (1994), Computation of the complex error func-

tion, SIAM J. Numerical Analysis, 31 (5), 14971518, available online at
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2158232.

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