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16 Generalized Hypergeometric Functions and Meijer G-FunctionGeneralized Hypergeometric Functions

§16.8 Differential Equations

Contents

§16.8(i) Classification of Singularities

An ordinary point of the differential equation

is a value z_{0} of z at which all the coefficients f_{j}(z), j=0,1,\dots,n-1, are analytic. If z_{0} is not an ordinary point but (z-z_{0})^{{n-j}}f_{j}(z), j=0,1,\dots,n-1, are analytic at z=z_{0}, then z_{0} is a regular singularity. All other singularities are irregular. Compare §2.7(i) in the case n=2. Similar definitions apply in the case z_{0}=\infty: we transform \infty into the origin by replacing z in (16.8.1) by 1/z; again compare §2.7(i).

For further information see Hille (1976, pp. 360–370).

§16.8(ii) The Generalized Hypergeometric Differential Equation

With the notation

16.8.2
D=\frac{d}{dz},
\vartheta=z\frac{d}{dz},

the function w=\mathop{{{}_{{p}}F_{{q}}}\/}\nolimits\!\left(\mathbf{a};\mathbf{b};z\right) satisfies the differential equation

Equivalently,

or

where \alpha_{j} and \beta_{j} are constants. Equation (16.8.4) has a regular singularity at z=0, and an irregular singularity at z=\infty, whereas (16.8.5) has regular singularities at z=0, 1, and \infty. In each case there are no other singularities. Equation (16.8.3) is of order \max(p,q+1). In Letessier et al. (1994) examples are discussed in which the generalized hypergeometric function satisfies a differential equation that is of order 1 or even 2 less than might be expected.

When no b_{j} is an integer, and no two b_{j} differ by an integer, a fundamental set of solutions of (16.8.3) is given by

where * indicates that the entry 1+b_{j}-b_{j} is omitted. For other values of the b_{j}, series solutions in powers of z (possibly involving also \mathop{\ln\/}\nolimits z) can be constructed via a limiting process; compare §2.7(i) in the case of second-order differential equations. For details see Smith (1939a, b), and Nørlund (1955).

When p=q+1, and no two a_{j} differ by an integer, another fundamental set of solutions of (16.8.3) is given by

where * indicates that the entry 1-a_{j}+a_{j} is omitted. We have the connection formula

More generally if z_{0} (\in\Complex) is an arbitrary constant, |z-z_{0}|>\max{(|z_{0}|,|z_{0}-1|)}, and |\mathop{\mathrm{ph}\/}\nolimits\!\left(z_{0}-z\right)|<\pi, then

(Note that the generalized hypergeometric functions on the right-hand side are polynomials in z_{0}.)

When p=q+1 and some of the a_{j} differ by an integer a limiting process can again be applied. For details see Nørlund (1955). In this reference it is also explained that in general when q>1 no simple representations in terms of generalized hypergeometric functions are available for the fundamental solutions near z=1. Analytical continuation formulas for \mathop{{{}_{{q+1}}F_{{q}}}\/}\nolimits\!\left(\mathbf{a};\mathbf{b};z\right) near z=1 are given in Bühring (1987b) for the case q=2, and in Bühring (1992) for the general case.

§16.8(iii) Confluence of Singularities

If p\leq q, then

Thus in the case p=q the regular singularities of the function on the left-hand side at \alpha and \infty coalesce into an irregular singularity at \infty.

Next, if p\leq q+1 and |\mathop{\mathrm{ph}\/}\nolimits\beta|\leq\pi-\delta (<\pi), then

provided that in the case p=q+1 we have |z|<1 when |\mathop{\mathrm{ph}\/}\nolimits\beta|\leq\frac{1}{2}\pi, and |z|<|\mathop{\sin\/}\nolimits\!\left(\mathop{\mathrm{ph}\/}\nolimits\beta%
\right)| when \frac{1}{2}\pi\leq|\mathop{\mathrm{ph}\/}\nolimits\beta|\leq\pi-\delta (<\pi).