In
mathematics, basic hypergeometric series, or ''q''-hypergeometric series, are
''q''-analogue generalizations of
generalized hypergeometric series
In mathematics, a generalized hypergeometric series is a power series in which the ratio of successive coefficients indexed by ''n'' is a rational function of ''n''. The series, if convergent, defines a generalized hypergeometric function, whic ...
, and are in turn generalized by
elliptic hypergeometric series
In mathematics, an elliptic hypergeometric series is a series Σ''c'n'' such that the ratio
''c'n''/''c'n''−1 is an elliptic function of ''n'', analogous to generalized hypergeometric series where the ratio is a rational function of ...
.
A series ''x''
''n'' is called hypergeometric if the ratio of successive terms ''x''
''n''+1/''x''
''n'' is a
rational function
In mathematics, a rational function is any function that can be defined by a rational fraction, which is an algebraic fraction such that both the numerator and the denominator are polynomials. The coefficients of the polynomials need not be ...
of ''n''. If the ratio of successive terms is a rational function of ''q''
''n'', then the series is called a basic hypergeometric series. The number ''q'' is called the base.
The basic hypergeometric series
was first considered by . It becomes the hypergeometric series
in the limit when base
.
Definition
There are two forms of basic hypergeometric series, the unilateral basic hypergeometric series φ, and the more general bilateral basic hypergeometric series ψ.
The unilateral basic hypergeometric series is defined as
:
where
:
and
:
is the
''q''-shifted factorial.
The most important special case is when ''j'' = ''k'' + 1, when it becomes
:
This series is called ''balanced'' if ''a''
1 ... ''a''
''k'' + 1 = ''b''
1 ...''b''
''k''''q''.
This series is called ''well poised'' if ''a''
1''q'' = ''a''
2''b''
1 = ... = ''a''
''k'' + 1''b''
''k'', and ''very well poised'' if in addition ''a''
2 = −''a''
3 = ''qa''
11/2.
The unilateral basic hypergeometric series is a q-analog of the hypergeometric series since
: