Sonoma State University J. S.

Tenn

The Gamma Function

The gamma function appears frequently in physics problems. Some knowledge of its properties
is very useful in evaluating integrals. The definition is
∞
(z) ≡ e -t t z-1 dt (1)
0

Its most interesting property is obtained by integrating (z+1) by parts:

∞ ∞
∞
(z +1) = e -t t z dt = -e -t t z 0 - -e -t z t z-1 dt ⇒ (z+1) = z (z) (2)
0 0
We will show that (1) = 1 and 1/2 = . Then repeated application of (2) yields

n + 1 = n! n = 1 , 2, 3 and n + 1 = n -1 n -3 1 (3)
2 2 2 2
[The fact that (1) = 1 is the reason for the definition 0! = 1].
Thus, for example, (6) = 5! = 5⋅4⋅3⋅2⋅1 = 120 and 5 = 3 ⋅1 = 3 .
2 2 2 4
∞
∞
It is easy to show that (1) = e -t dt = - e -t 0
= 1.
0
To show that Γ 1 = π let t = x2. Then dt = 2x dx and
2
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
1 = e -t t -1/2 dt = e -x 2 x -1 2x dx = 2 e -x 2 dx = e -x 2 dx
2 0 0 0 -∞
Now multiply this integral by itself [using a different dummy variable of integration] and make it
into a double integral:
∞ ∞
1 2 = e -x 2 dx e -y 2 dy = e- x 2 + y2 dx dy
2 -∞ -∞

where the last expression is the integral over the entire x-y plane of the exponential of minus the
square of the distance from the origin. Change to plane polar coordinates:
x = r cos , y = r sin , dx dy = dA = r dr d .
∞ 2
∞
1 2 = e - r 2 r dr d = -1 e -r2 2 = ⇒ 1 =
2 0 0 2 0
2
∞
2
Now we can evaluate integrals of the form I n( ) ≡ e- x x n dx by changing them to gamma
0
-1/2
functions. Let t = x2 , x = (t/ )1/2 , dx = 1 t dt.
2
∞ n ∞
-( n + 1)/2 -( n + 1)/2
I n( ) = e -t t 2 1 ( t) -1/2 dt = 1 e - t t (n – 1)/2 dt = 1 n +1
0 2 2 0 2 2

I 0( ) = 1 , I 1( ) = 1 , I 2( ) = 1 , I 3( ) = 1 , I 4( ) = 3 , etc.
2 2 4 3
2
2 8 5

∞
2 2I n if n = 0, 2, 4,
and, of course, e- x x n dx =
-∞
0 if n = 1, 3, 5,