Digital Library of Mathematical Functions
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6 Exponential, Logarithmic, Sine, and Cosine IntegralsComputation

§6.20 Approximations

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§6.20(i) Approximations in Terms of Elementary Functions

  • Hastings (1955) gives several minimax polynomial and rational approximations for \mathop{E_{1}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right)+\mathop{\ln\/}\nolimits x, xe^{x}\mathop{E_{1}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right), and the auxiliary functions \mathop{\mathrm{f}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right) and \mathop{\mathrm{g}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right). These are included in Abramowitz and Stegun (1964, Ch. 5).

  • Cody and Thacher (1968) provides minimax rational approximations for \mathop{E_{1}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right), with accuracies up to 20S.

  • Cody and Thacher (1969) provides minimax rational approximations for \mathop{\mathrm{Ei}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right), with accuracies up to 20S.

  • MacLeod (1996b) provides rational approximations for the sine and cosine integrals and for the auxiliary functions \mathop{\mathrm{f}\/}\nolimits and \mathop{\mathrm{g}\/}\nolimits, with accuracies up to 20S.

§6.20(ii) Expansions in Chebyshev Series

  • Clenshaw (1962) gives Chebyshev coefficients for -\mathop{E_{1}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right)-\mathop{\ln\/}\nolimits|x| for -4\leq x\leq 4 and e^{x}\mathop{E_{1}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right) for x\geq 4 (20D).

  • Luke and Wimp (1963) covers \mathop{\mathrm{Ei}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right) for x\leq-4 (20D), and \mathop{\mathrm{Si}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right) and \mathop{\mathrm{Ci}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right) for x\geq 4 (20D).

  • Luke (1969b, pp. 41–42) gives Chebyshev expansions of \mathop{\mathrm{Ein}\/}\nolimits\!\left(ax\right), \mathop{\mathrm{Si}\/}\nolimits\!\left(ax\right), and \mathop{\mathrm{Cin}\/}\nolimits\!\left(ax\right) for -1\leq x\leq 1, a\in\Complex. The coefficients are given in terms of series of Bessel functions.

  • Luke (1969b, pp. 321–322) covers \mathop{\mathrm{Ein}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right) and -\mathop{\mathrm{Ein}\/}\nolimits\!\left(-x\right) for 0\leq x\leq 8 (the Chebyshev coefficients are given to 20D); \mathop{E_{1}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right) for x\geq 5 (20D), and \mathop{\mathrm{Ei}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right) for x\geq 8 (15D). Coefficients for the sine and cosine integrals are given on pp. 325–327.

  • Luke (1969b, p. 25) gives a Chebyshev expansion near infinity for the confluent hypergeometric \mathop{U\/}\nolimits-function (§13.2(i)) from which Chebyshev expansions near infinity for \mathop{E_{1}\/}\nolimits\!\left(z\right), \mathop{\mathrm{f}\/}\nolimits\!\left(z\right), and \mathop{\mathrm{g}\/}\nolimits\!\left(z\right) follow by using (6.11.2) and (6.11.3). Luke also includes a recursion scheme for computing the coefficients in the expansions of the \mathop{U\/}\nolimits functions. If |\mathop{\mathrm{ph}\/}\nolimits z|<\pi the scheme can be used in backward direction.

§6.20(iii) Padé-Type and Rational Expansions

  • Luke (1969b, pp. 402, 410, and 415–421) gives main diagonal Padé approximations for \mathop{\mathrm{Ein}\/}\nolimits\!\left(z\right), \mathop{\mathrm{Si}\/}\nolimits\!\left(z\right), \mathop{\mathrm{Cin}\/}\nolimits\!\left(z\right) (valid near the origin), and \mathop{E_{1}\/}\nolimits\!\left(z\right) (valid for large |z|); approximate errors are given for a selection of z-values.

  • Luke (1969b, pp. 411–414) gives rational approximations for \mathop{\mathrm{Ein}\/}\nolimits\!\left(z\right).