[math, computation] Euler-reflection formula-version 2 : complex integration

in #math7 years ago (edited)

This is a English version of my former post in korean .

ER-기본식.png

In the last posting [math, computation] Euler-reflection formula-version 1 : Basel Problem we talk about one simple ways of showing Euler's reflection formula.

And this time, i want to post a second method which using the techniques of complex integration.
To do that first define gamma function and beta function as follows

ERV-1.png
ERV-2.png

One important relation between them is

ERV-3.png

Now let's prove this relation

First by substitution of t=s/s+1 in the Beta function , we have

ERV-4.png

Then

ERV-5.png
Actually in the process we used

ERV-6.png

Anyway from above computation we obtain
ERV-7.png

Now the problem is computing the integration on right hand side. Here we will use complex integration which you might hear from your complex variable course... this is kind of examples or exercise problems in usual course material. You can obtain this integration without complex integration and actually that is version 3 : Differential equation i am planing to write.

ERV-8.png

I want to draw some contours .. [i am kinds of novice for drawing figures in latex..] i just attach my notes .

Now taking R infinity and epsilon 0, since the restriction of x is between 0 and 1, we have

ERV-9.png
Thus upon this condition
ERV-10.png

Re-organizing

ERV-11.png

Finally

ERV-12.png

Now we are done!.

Of course there is a third version by Dedkind using differential equation. I will post it soon~

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Thanks! Upvoted.
This is also used in quantum mechanics.

Yes, This kinds of integration use a lot in physics. For example, in qft you might encounter a lots of computation of gamma function in the process of scattering amplitudes and expansion of gamma function in regularization, and in the process of computing string amplitude you might encounter beta function and so on.

The formula is also one that immediately tells you that

\Gamma(1/2) = \pi^{1/2}

i.e. the value of the Gamma function at x=1/2 is the square root of pi.

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