Hypergeometric Functions

Reading Problems

Introduction
The hypergeometric function F (a, b; c; x) is defined as

F (a; b; c; x) = 2 F1 (a, b; c; x) = F (b, a; c; x)

ab a(a + 1)b(b + 1) x2
= 1+ x+ + ···
c c(c + 1) 2!

∞
(a)n(b)n xn
= |x| < 1, c = 0, −1, −2, . . .
n=0
(c)n n!

where

2 − refers to number of parameters in numerator

1 − refers to number of parameters in denominator

Γ(c) 
∞
Γ(a + n))Γ(b + n) xn
y1 = F (a, b; c; x) =
Γ(a)Γ(b) n=0 Γ(c + n) n!

is one solution of the Hypergeometric Differential Equation

x(1 − x)y  + [c − (a + b + 1)x]y  − aby = 0

The other independent solution is

y2 = x1−c F (a − c + 1, b − c + 1; 2 − c; x) c = −1, −2, . . .

1
Some Properties of F (a, b; c; x)

d ab
F (a, b; c; x) = F (a + 1, b + 1; c + 1; x)
dx c

The general formula based on repeated differentiation

dk (a)k (b)k
F (a, b; c; x) = F (a + k), b + k; c + k; x), k = 1, 2, 3, . . .
dxk (c)k

Recurrence Relations
There are 15 recurrence relations, one of the simplest is

(a − b)F (a, b; c; x) = aF (a + 1, b; c; x) − bF (a, b + 1; c; x)

See Abramowitz and Stegun for others.

Integral Representation

1
Γ(c)
F (a, b; c; x) = tb−1 (1 − t)c−b−1 (1 − xt)−a dt |x| ≤ 1
Γ(b)Γ(c − b) 0

Generating Function

w(x, t) = (1 − t)b−c (1 − t + xt)−b , c = 0, −1, −2, . . .


∞
(c)n
w(x, t) = F (−n, b; c; x)tn
n=0
n!

2
where F (−n, b; c; x) denotes hypergeometric polynomials


n
(−n) (b) xi
F (−n, b; c; x) = −∞<x<∞
i=0
(c) i!

Relation to Other Functions

Beta Functions

xp
Bx (p, q) = F (p, 1 − q; 1 + p; x)
p
Γ(p)Γ(q)
B1 (p, q) =
Γ(p + q)

Elliptic Integrals

 
π 1 1
K(k) = F , ; 1; k2
2 2 2

 
π 1 1
E(k) = F − , ; 1; k2
2 2 2

Legendre Functions

 
1−x
Pν (x) = F −ν, ν + 1; 1; ν = integer
2

 
π 1/2 Γ(ν + 1) 1 ν 1+ν 3 1
Qν (x) = F 1+ , ; ν+ ; 2 |x| > 1
2ν+1 Γ(ν + 3/2) xν+1 2 2 2 x

3
Chebyshev Polynomials

 
1 1−x
Tn(x) = F −n, n; ;
2 2

 
3 1−x
Un(x) = (n + 1)F −n, n + 2; ;
2 2

Bessel Function

 
(x/2)ν x2
Jν = 0 F1 ν + 1; −
Γ(ν + 1) 4

Confluent Hypergeometric Functions (Kummer’s Function)

Functions M (a; c; x) and U (a; c; x)


∞
(a)n xn
M (a; c; x) = −∞<x<∞
n=0
(c)n n!

M (a; c; x) = lim F (a, b; c; x/b) c = 0, −1, −2 . . .

b→∞

also written as

1 F1 (a; c; x)

4
Differential Equation

xy  + (c − x)y  − ay = 0

If we change the variable to y = x1−c z, then

xz  + (2 − c − x)z  − (1 + a − c)z = 0

where the solution is

z = M (1 + a − c; 2 − c; x) c = 2, 3, 4, . . .

and

y2 = x1−c M (1 + a − c; 2 − c; x) c = 2, 3, 4, . . .

is a second solution.

Therefore the complete solution is

y = y 1 + y2

= C1 M (a; c; x) + C2 M (1 + a − c; 2 − c; x) c = 0, ±1, ±2 . . .

Confluent Hypergeometric Function of the Second Kind

 
π M (a; c; x) x1−c M (1 + a − c; 2 − c; x)
U (a; c; x) = −
sin cπ Γ(1 + a − c)Γ(c) Γ(a)Γ(2 − c)
c = 0, −1, −2. . . .

5
Integral Representations

1
Γ(c)
M (a; c; x) = extta−1 (1 − t)c−a−1 dt c>a>0
Γ(a)Γ(c − a) 0

∞
1
U (a; c; x) = e−xtta−1 (1 + t)c−a−1 dt a > 0, x > 0
Γ(a) 0

with t = 1 − u

1
Γ(c)
M (a; c; x) = x
e e−xuuc−a−1 (1 − u)a−1 du
Γ(a)Γ(c − a) 0

Therefore
M (a; c; x) = ex M (c − a; c; −x) Kummer’s Transformation

for many other properties see Abramowitz and Stegun

Relation to Other Functions

ex = M (a; a; x)
 
1 −x2 1 1
erfc(x) = √ e U ; ; x2
π 2 2
xa
γ(a, x) = M (a; a + 1; −x)
a
Γ(a, x) = e−x U (1 − a; 1 − a; x)
 
2 1 3
erf (x) = √ x M ; ; −x 2
π 2 2
 
(x/2)p −ix 1
Jp (x) = e M p + ; 2p + 1; 2ix
Γ(p + 1) 2
 
(x/2)p −x 1
Ip (x) = e M p + ; 2p + 1; 2x
Γ(p + 1) 2
 
√ p −x
1
Kp (x) = π(2x) e U p + ; 2p + 1; 2x
2