Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Incomplete gamma function
2 reference results for: Incomplete gamma function
Wikipedia
In mathematics, the gamma function is defined by a definite integral. The incomplete gamma function is defined as an integral function of the same integrand. There are two varieties of the incomplete gamma function: the upper incomplete gamma function is for the case that the lower limit of integration is variable (ie where the "upper" limit is fixed), and the lower incomplete gamma function can vary the upper limit of integration.

The upper incomplete gamma function is defined as:

Gamma(a,x) = int_x^{infty} t^{a-1},e^{-t},dt .,!

The lower incomplete gamma function is defined as:

gamma(a,x) = int_0^x t^{a-1},e^{-t},dt .,!

Properties

In both cases a is a complex parameter, such that the real part of a is positive.

By integration by parts we can find that

Gamma(a+1,x) = aGamma(a,x) + x^a e^{-x},
gamma(a+1,x) = agamma(a,x) - x^a e^{-x}.,

Since the ordinary gamma function is defined as

Gamma(a) = int_0^{infty} t^{a-1},e^{-t},dt ,!

we have

gamma(a,x) + Gamma(a,x) = Gamma(a).,

Furthermore,

Gamma(a,x)=(a-1)!e^{-x}sum_{k=0}^{a-1}frac{x^k}{k!} if a be an integer.
Gamma(a,0) = Gamma(a),
Gamma(a) = (a-1)!, if a be an integer.

and

gamma(a,x) rightarrow Gamma(a)
quad mathrm{as } x rightarrow infty. ,

Also

Gamma(0,x) = -mbox{Ei}(-x)mbox{ for }x>0 ,
Gammaleft({1 over 2}, xright) = sqrtpi,mbox{erfc}left(sqrt xright) ,
gammaleft({1 over 2}, xright) = sqrtpi,mbox{erf}left(sqrt xright) ,
Gamma(1,x) = e^{-x} ,
gamma(1,x) = 1 - e^{-x} ,

where Ei is the exponential integral, erf is the error function, and erfc is the complementary error function, erfc(x) = 1 − erf(x).

Regularized Gamma functions

Two related functions are the regularized Gamma functions:

P(a,x)=frac{gamma(a,x)}{Gamma(a)}

Q(a,x)=frac{Gamma(a,x)}{Gamma(a)}=1-P(a,x).

Connection with Kummer's confluent hypergeometric function

It is easily shown that, when the real part of z is positive,

gamma(a,z) = int_0^z e^{-t}t^{a-1} dt = a^{-1} z^a e^{-z} M(1,a+1,z),

where M(1, a+1, z) is Kummer's confluent hypergeometric function. Since the series

M(1, a+1, z) = 1 + frac{1}{(a+1)}z + frac{1}{(a+1)(a+2)}z^2 + frac{1}{(a+1)(a+2)(a+3)}z^3 + cdots

has an infinite radius of convergence, we may take

gamma(a,z) = a^{-1} z^a e^{-z} M(1,a+1,z),

as the definition of γ(a, z) for all complex z. In this light, the lower incomplete gamma function γ(az) is an entire function of the complex variable z. Since the gamma function Γ(z) is a meromorphic function with simple poles at {0, −1, −2, …}, we may define the meromorphic upper incomplete gamma function as

Gamma(a, z) = Gamma(a) - gamma(a, z). ,

For the actual computation of numerical values, the continued fraction of Gauss provides a useful expansion:

frac{a e^z}{z^a} gamma(a, z) = cfrac{1}{1 - cfrac{z}{a+1 + cfrac{z}{a+2 - cfrac{(a+1)z} {a+3 + cfrac{2z}{a+4 - cfrac{(a+2)z}{a+5 + cfrac{3z}{a+6 - ddots}}}}}}}.

This continued fraction converges for all complex z, provided only that a is not a negative integer.

References

Miscellaneous utilities

Wikipedia
In mathematics, the gamma function is defined by a definite integral. The incomplete gamma function is defined as an integral function of the same integrand. There are two varieties of the incomplete gamma function: the upper incomplete gamma function is for the case that the lower limit of integration is variable (ie where the "upper" limit is fixed), and the lower incomplete gamma function can vary the upper limit of integration.

The upper incomplete gamma function is defined as:

Gamma(a,x) = int_x^{infty} t^{a-1},e^{-t},dt .,!

The lower incomplete gamma function is defined as:

gamma(a,x) = int_0^x t^{a-1},e^{-t},dt .,!

Properties

In both cases a is a complex parameter, such that the real part of a is positive.

By integration by parts we can find that

Gamma(a+1,x) = aGamma(a,x) + x^a e^{-x},
gamma(a+1,x) = agamma(a,x) - x^a e^{-x}.,

Since the ordinary gamma function is defined as

Gamma(a) = int_0^{infty} t^{a-1},e^{-t},dt ,!

we have

gamma(a,x) + Gamma(a,x) = Gamma(a).,

Furthermore,

Gamma(a,x)=(a-1)!e^{-x}sum_{k=0}^{a-1}frac{x^k}{k!} if a be an integer.
Gamma(a,0) = Gamma(a),
Gamma(a) = (a-1)!, if a be an integer.

and

gamma(a,x) rightarrow Gamma(a)
quad mathrm{as } x rightarrow infty. ,

Also

Gamma(0,x) = -mbox{Ei}(-x)mbox{ for }x>0 ,
Gammaleft({1 over 2}, xright) = sqrtpi,mbox{erfc}left(sqrt xright) ,
gammaleft({1 over 2}, xright) = sqrtpi,mbox{erf}left(sqrt xright) ,
Gamma(1,x) = e^{-x} ,
gamma(1,x) = 1 - e^{-x} ,

where Ei is the exponential integral, erf is the error function, and erfc is the complementary error function, erfc(x) = 1 − erf(x).

Regularized Gamma functions

Two related functions are the regularized Gamma functions:

P(a,x)=frac{gamma(a,x)}{Gamma(a)}

Q(a,x)=frac{Gamma(a,x)}{Gamma(a)}=1-P(a,x).

Connection with Kummer's confluent hypergeometric function

It is easily shown that, when the real part of z is positive,

gamma(a,z) = int_0^z e^{-t}t^{a-1} dt = a^{-1} z^a e^{-z} M(1,a+1,z),

where M(1, a+1, z) is Kummer's confluent hypergeometric function. Since the series

M(1, a+1, z) = 1 + frac{1}{(a+1)}z + frac{1}{(a+1)(a+2)}z^2 + frac{1}{(a+1)(a+2)(a+3)}z^3 + cdots

has an infinite radius of convergence, we may take

gamma(a,z) = a^{-1} z^a e^{-z} M(1,a+1,z),

as the definition of γ(a, z) for all complex z. In this light, the lower incomplete gamma function γ(az) is an entire function of the complex variable z. Since the gamma function Γ(z) is a meromorphic function with simple poles at {0, −1, −2, …}, we may define the meromorphic upper incomplete gamma function as

Gamma(a, z) = Gamma(a) - gamma(a, z). ,

For the actual computation of numerical values, the continued fraction of Gauss provides a useful expansion:

frac{a e^z}{z^a} gamma(a, z) = cfrac{1}{1 - cfrac{z}{a+1 + cfrac{z}{a+2 - cfrac{(a+1)z} {a+3 + cfrac{2z}{a+4 - cfrac{(a+2)z}{a+5 + cfrac{3z}{a+6 - ddots}}}}}}}.

This continued fraction converges for all complex z, provided only that a is not a negative integer.

References

Miscellaneous utilities

Share This:Share This: digg.comShare This: ma.gnolia.comShare This: www.stumbleupon.comShare This: del.icio.usShare This: FacebookShare This: favorites.live.comShare This: www.technorati.comShare This: furl.netShare This: myweb2.search.yahoo.comShare This: www.google.com