Paper 1, Section I, B

Further Complex Methods | Part II, 2018

The Beta and Gamma functions are defined by

B(p,q)=∫01tp−1(1−t)q−1dtΓ(p)=∫0∞e−ttp−1dt\begin{aligned} B(p, q) &=\int_{0}^{1} t^{p-1}(1-t)^{q-1} d t \\ \Gamma(p) &=\int_{0}^{\infty} e^{-t} t^{p-1} d t \end{aligned}

where Re⁡p>0,Re⁡q>0\operatorname{Re} p>0, \operatorname{Re} q>0.

(a) By using a suitable substitution, or otherwise, prove that

B(z,z)=21−2zB(z,12)B(z, z)=2^{1-2 z} B\left(z, \frac{1}{2}\right)

for Re⁡z>0\operatorname{Re} z>0. Extending BB by analytic continuation, for which values of z∈Cz \in \mathbb{C} does this result hold?

(b) Prove that

B(p,q)=Γ(p)Γ(q)Γ(p+q)B(p, q)=\frac{\Gamma(p) \Gamma(q)}{\Gamma(p+q)}

for Re⁡p>0,Re⁡q>0\operatorname{Re} p>0, \operatorname{Re} q>0

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