4 SPECIAL FUNCTIONS

In this topic, the gamma function and some of its properties are discussed.

4.1 Gamma Function

The gamma function is defined as


  x    t x 1et dt (4.1)
0

where the condition x  0 ensures that the integrand exists at the lower limit t  0 . This
definition gives


 1   exp(t )dt   exp(t ) 0  1 (4.2)
0

Also, using equation (4.1) and integration by parts yields the recurrence relation

  
  x  1   t x et dt   t x et  x  t x1et dt
0
0 0
and consequently
  x  1  x  x  (4.3)

Equation (4.3) may be used to define the gamma function for negative values of x thus

  x  1
  x  (4.4)
x

From equation (4.4) it is evident that   0  is not defined. Further if x  n where n is a positive
integer, equations (4.2) and (4.3) give

  n  1  n  n   n  n  1 n  2  n  3    1   1  n ! (4.5)

The gamma function is thus related to the factorial of a positive integer. For a negative
integer n , we have

 n  m !   n  m  n  m  1 n  m  2    n  2  n  1 n!

where m is a positive integer which makes n  m  0 . Consequently

n! 
 n  m !
(4.6)
 n  m  n  m  1 n  m  2    n  2  n  1

from which it is evident that for a negative integer n  1, 2, 3,... , the factorial is not defined
since the denominator in equation (4.6) includes a factor of zero. Further from equations (4.5)

1
and (4.6), the gamma function of a negative integer is also not defined. The gamma function
of x  1 2 is given from equation (4.1) as

 
1
     t 1 2et dt  2  eu du  2I
2
(4.7)
2 0 0

where we have used the substitution t  u 2 . The integral I in equation (4.7) may be evaluated
by first writing

2
  u 2    x 2   y 2  x 2  y 2 

I    e du    e dx  e dy    e
2
dxdy (4.8)
 
0  0 0 00

where the double integral is over the entire positive quadrant of the xy-plane. Now
transforming from rectangular to polar coordinates gives

 2  
   
d  er rdr  e s ds   e s
2
I    
2
(4.9)
0 0
40 4 0 4

where we have used the substitution s  r 2 . Using equation (4.9) in (4.7) then yields the
important result.

1
    (4.10)
2

Applying equations (4.3) and (4.10) the gamma functions of other half-integral values may be
determined. For example for x  3 2 and x  5 2 we have
3 1 1 
      (4.11)
2 2 2 2
and
5 3 3 3 1 1 3 
          (4.12)
2 2 2 2 2 2 4

To determine the gamma function of negative half-integral values, equations (4.4) and (4.10)
are used. Thus for example
 1 1
     2    2  (4.13)
 2 2

 3 2  1 2 4
          2    (4.14)
 2 3  2 3 3

and
 5 2  3 2 4 8
              (4.15)
 2 5  2 5 3 15