13 Confluent Hypergeometric FunctionsWhittaker Functions

§13.18 Relations to Other Functions

Contents
  1. §13.18(i) Elementary Functions
  2. §13.18(ii) Incomplete Gamma Functions
  3. §13.18(iii) Modified Bessel Functions
  4. §13.18(iv) Parabolic Cylinder Functions
  5. §13.18(v) Orthogonal Polynomials
  6. §13.18(vi) Coulomb Functions

§13.18(i) Elementary Functions

13.18.1 M0,12⁡(2⁢z)=2⁢sinh⁡z,
13.18.2 Mκ,κ−12⁡(z)=Wκ,κ−12⁡(z)=Wκ,−κ+12⁡(z)=e−12⁢z⁢zκ,
13.18.3 Mκ,−κ−12⁡(z)=e12⁢z⁢z−κ.

§13.18(ii) Incomplete Gamma Functions

For the notation see §§6.2(i), 7.2(i), and 8.2(i). When 12−κ±μ is an integer the Whittaker functions can be expressed as incomplete gamma functions (or generalized exponential integrals). For example,

13.18.4 Mμ−12,μ⁡(z)=2⁢μ⁢e12⁢z⁢z12−μ⁢γ⁡(2⁢μ,z),
13.18.5 Wμ−12,μ⁡(z)=e12⁢z⁢z12−μ⁢Γ⁡(2⁢μ,z).

Special cases are the error functions

13.18.7 W−14,±14⁡(z2)=e12⁢z2⁢π⁢z⁢erfc⁡(z).

§13.18(iii) Modified Bessel Functions

When κ=0 the Whittaker functions can be expressed as modified Bessel functions. For the notation see §§10.25(ii) and 9.2(i).

13.18.8 M0,ν⁡(2⁢z)=22⁢ν+12⁢Γ⁡(1+ν)⁢z⁢Iν⁡(z),

§13.18(iv) Parabolic Cylinder Functions

For the notation see §12.2.

13.18.11 W−12⁢a,±14⁡(12⁢z2) =212⁢a⁢z⁢U⁡(a,z),
13.18.12 M−12⁢a,−14⁡(12⁢z2) =212⁢a−1⁢Γ⁡(12⁢a+34)⁢z/π⁢(U⁡(a,z)+U⁡(a,−z)),
13.18.13 M−12⁢a,14⁡(12⁢z2) =212⁢a−2⁢Γ⁡(12⁢a+14)⁢z/π⁢(U⁡(a,−z)−U⁡(a,z)).

§13.18(v) Orthogonal Polynomials

Special cases of §13.18(iv) are as follows. For the notation see §18.3.

Hermite Polynomials

13.18.14 M14+n,−14⁡(z2)=(−1)n⁢n!(2⁢n)!⁢e−12⁢z2⁢z⁢H2⁢n⁡(z),
13.18.15 M34+n,14⁡(z2)=(−1)n⁢n!(2⁢n+1)!⁢e−12⁢z2⁢z2⁢H2⁢n+1⁡(z),
13.18.16 W14+12⁢n,14⁡(z2)=2−n⁢e−12⁢z2⁢z⁢Hn⁡(z).

Laguerre Polynomials

§13.18(vi) Coulomb Functions

For representations of Coulomb functions in terms of Whittaker functions see (33.2.3), (33.2.7), (33.14.4) and (33.14.7)