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Re: Hypergeometric1F1 polynomial

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg91460] Re: Hypergeometric1F1 polynomial
  • From: Jean-Marc Gulliet <jeanmarc.gulliet at gmail.com>
  • Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:14:04 -0400 (EDT)
  • Organization: The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • References: <g8je5u$a4n$1@smc.vnet.net>

Alec Mihailovs wrote:

> Mathematica gives the wrong answer to the following sum,
> 
> In[1]:= Sum[Binomial[n, k]/Binomial[2 n, k]/k! (2 x)^k, {k, 0, n}]
> 
> Out[1]= 2^(-(1/2) - n) E^x x^(1/2 + n)
>   BesselI[1/2 (-1 - 2 n), x] Gamma[1/2 - n]
> 
> The correct answer is 1 for n=0 and Hypergeometric1F1[-n, -2 n, 2 x] for 
> integer n>0, which would be equal to the expression given by Mathematica if 
> n was not a positive integer.
> 
> Another form of the correct answer is
> 
> (2 x)^(n+1/2) E^x BesselK[n+1/2,x] n!/(2 n)!/Sqrt[Pi]
> 
> Is there a way to apply some assumptions to get the correct answer?

Alec,

One can pass assumptions thanks to the function *Assuming[]* or the 
option *Assumptions*, usually in combination with functions such as 
Simplify or FullSimplify (when special functions are involved). For 
instance,

     In[1]:= Assuming[Element[n, Integers] && n > 0,
      FullSimplify[
       Sum[Binomial[n, k]/Binomial[2 n, k]/k! (2 x)^k, {k, 0, n}]]]

     Out[1]= E^x Hypergeometric0F1[1/2 - n, x^2/4]

Note that the original result you got is equivalent for all n, indeed, 
to the hypergeometric function you claim to be the correct solution.

     In[2]:= s =
      Sum[Binomial[n, k]/Binomial[2 n, k]/k! (2 x)^k, {k, 0, n}]

     Out[2]= 2^(-(1/2) - n) E^x x^(1/2 + n)
       BesselI[1/2 (-1 - 2 n), x] Gamma[1/2 - n]

     In[3]:= FullSimplify[s]

     Out[3]= E^x Hypergeometric0F1[1/2 - n, x^2/4]

     In[4]:= FullSimplify[s == Hypergeometric1F1[-n, -2 n, 2 x]]

     Out[4]= True

     In[5]:= s /. n -> 0

     Out[5]= E^x Cosh[x]

     In[6]:= % // TrigToExp

     Out[6]= 1/2 + E^(2 x)/2

The above result, however, does not match the following:

     In[7]:= With[{n = 0},
      Sum[Binomial[n, k]/Binomial[2 n, k]/k! (2 x)^k, {k, 0, n}]]

     Out[7]= 1

(So the sum is now equal to one for n == 0, as you claimed.)

The *With[]* construct rewrite the sum as

     Sum[Binomial[0, k]/Binomial[2 0, k]/k! (2 x)^k, {k, 0, 0}]]

*before* evaluating it.

Note that Mathematica fails in a weird way ( function == 0 ) checking 
the equivalence of

     In[8]:= FullSimplify[(2 x)^(n + 1/2) E^x BesselK[n + 1/2,
         x] n!/(2 n)!/Sqrt[Pi] == Hypergeometric1F1[-n, -2 n, 2 x]]

     Out[8]= (2^-n E^x x^(1/2 + n) BesselI[1/2 + n, x] Sec[n \[Pi]])/
      Gamma[1/2 + n] == 0

Best regards,
-- Jean-Marc


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