Seeking Experienced Q-Series Professionals

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around q-series, particularly focusing on proofs and properties related to specific identities and limits involving q-series. Participants share their experiences with q-series in various contexts, including quantum groups and hypergeometric functions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about experiences with q-series, particularly in relation to compact quantum groups.
  • A participant seeks a proof for the identity involving the infinite products of q-series, suggesting a connection to the q-binomial theorem.
  • Another participant expresses appreciation for the complexity of q-series and relates it to Ramanujan's work, noting the challenge of understanding his insights.
  • Confusion arises regarding the notation of q-series, with participants discussing the definitions of the Pochhammer symbol and its variations.
  • A participant proposes a limit involving q-series and suggests it is straightforward for positive integers, while another elaborates on the proof using the q-binomial theorem and L'Hôpital's rule.
  • There is a discussion about the convergence of series and the implications of approaching limits from specific directions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of understanding and familiarity with q-series, indicating that multiple competing views and interpretations exist regarding the proofs and notations discussed. The discussion remains unresolved on several points, particularly concerning the proofs and their implications.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight potential confusion around notations and definitions, as well as the complexity of the concepts involved. There are references to specific mathematical results and theorems that may require further clarification or context for those less familiar with the subject.

alyafey22
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Anybody with q-series experience ?
 
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ZaidAlyafey said:
Anybody with q-series experience ?
I had to deal with them when working with compact quantum groups. What sort of experience were you looking for?
 
Great !

I am looking for a proof for the following

$$ \frac{(-b)_{\infty}}{(a)_{\infty}} = \sum_{k \geq 0} \frac{\left(-b/a\right)_k} {(q)_k} a^k $$
 
ZaidAlyafey said:
Great !

I am looking for a proof for the following

$$ \frac{(-b)_{\infty}}{(a)_{\infty}} = \sum_{k \geq 0} \frac{\left(-b/a\right)_k} {(q)_k} a^k $$
That looks like a variation on the q-binomial theorem. Have you looked for a proof in Gasper and Rahman?
 
Thanks for the link , I really really appreciate it. I thought that q-series are interesting it reminds me of the famous relation between prime numbers and zeta function due to Euler . I was reading the NoteBook by Ramnujan and I was amazed by the vast results related to Hypergeometric functions which are a special case of q-series . I was hoping to read about the Jacobi theta function but I thought it would be better to start by q-series.
 
By the way Opalg , do you think it is a hard thing to deal with because I was depressed to see how Ramanujan worked with these stuff and I was like what is that !
 
ZaidAlyafey said:
By the way Opalg , do you think it is a hard thing to deal with because I was depressed to see how Ramanujan worked with these stuff and I was like what is that !
Please don't expect to understand everything that Ramanujan could do! That way madness lies. (Tmi)

There are results that Ramanujan somehow apprehended by intuition, that even today cannot be proved although they appear to be true, and nobody knows how he arrived at them. He must have had some quite unique insight that probably even he could not have explained.
 
Hey , I am confused about the notations !

$$(a)_k = a(a+1)(a+2) \cdots (a+k-1)$$

$$(a)_k =(a;q)_k = \prod_{n=0}^{k-1} (1-aq^n)$$

The latter defines a base $q$ .
 
ZaidAlyafey said:
Hey , I am confused about the notations !

$$(a)_k = a(a+1)(a+2) \cdots (a+k-1)$$

$$(a)_k =(a;q)_k = \prod_{n=0}^{k-1} (1-aq^n)$$

The latter defines a base $q$ .
I was assuming that $(a)_k$ was an abbreviation for $(a;q)_k$ (as here, for example), with the $q$ not explicitly mentioned. But I could well be wrong.
 
  • #10
  • #11
How to prove the following

$$\lim_{q \to 1}\frac{(a;q)_{\infty}}{(aq^x;q)_{\infty}}= (1-a)^x $$

It is kind of easy to prove it for $x\in \mathbb{Z}^+$
 
  • #12
To simplify for those how don't understand the notations

$$(a;q)_{\infty}= \prod_{k=0}(1-aq^k)$$

Similarilry we have

$$(aq^x;q)_{\infty}= \prod_{k=0}(1-aq^{k+x})$$

So we have to prove that

$$\lim_{q \to 1}\prod_{k=0} \frac{1-aq^k}{1-aq^{k+x}} = (1-a)^ x$$

Any clue ?
 
  • #13
ZaidAlyafey said:
How to prove the following

$$\lim_{q \to 1}\frac{(a;q)_{\infty}}{(aq^x;q)_{\infty}}= (1-a)^x $$

It is kind of easy to prove it for $x\in \mathbb{Z}^+$

Ok , I think I got it , this is a simple consequence of the q-binomial theorem

Consider the following

$${}_1\phi_0 (a;- ;q,z) = \sum_{k\geq 0}\frac{(a;q)_k}{(q;q)_k}z^k=\frac{(az;q)_{\infty}}{(z;q)_{\infty}}$$ (1)

In (1) let $a = q^{x}$ and $z = a$

$${}_1\phi_0 (q^x;- ;q,a) = \sum_{k\geq 0}\frac{(q^x;q)_k}{(q;q)_k}a^k=\frac{(aq^{x};q)_ {\infty} }{(a;q)_{\infty}}$$

Hence we have

$$\frac{(aq^{x};q)_{\infty}}{(a;q)_{\infty}}= \sum_{k\geq 0}\frac{(q^x;q)_k}{(q;q)_k}a^k$$

Now consider the limit

$$ \lim_{q \to 1}\frac{(aq^{x};q)_{\infty}}{(a;q)_{\infty}}= \lim_{q \to 1} \sum_{k\geq 0}\frac{(q^x;q)_k}{(q;q)_k}a^k$$(2)

Suppose that $$|a|<1$$ and [Math]|q|<1[/Math] so the sum is uniformly convergent on any sub-disk . So we have to approach $1$ from the left to stay in the disk !

The idea is use the L'Hospitale rule

$$\lim_{q \to 1^-}\frac{(q^x;q)_k}{(q;q)_k} = \lim_{q \to 1^-} \frac{(1-q^x)\cdot (1-q^{x+1}) \cdot(1-q^{x+2}) \cdots (1-q^{x+k-1}) }{(1-q)\cdot(1-q^2)\cdot(1-q^3) \cdots(1-q^k)}$$

which can be written as

$$\lim_{q \to 1^-}\frac{(q^x;q)_k}{(q;q)_k} = \lim_{q \to 1^-} \frac{(1-q^x)}{1-q}\cdot \lim_{q \to 1^-}\frac{(1-q^{x+1})}{1-q^2} \cdot \lim_{q \to 1} \frac{(1-q^{x+2})}{1-q^3} \cdots \lim_{q \to 1^-} \frac{(1-q^{x+k-1}) }{(1-q^k)}$$

$$ \lim_{q \to 1^-}\frac{(q^x;q)_k}{(q;q)_k} = \frac{x (x+1)(x+2)\cdots (x+k-1)}{1\cdot 2 \cdot 3 \cdots k} = \frac{(x)_k}{k!} $$

Substitute in (2)

$$ \lim_{q \to 1^-}\frac{(aq^{x};q)_{\infty}}{(a;q)_{\infty}}= \sum_{k\geq 0}\frac{(x)_k}{k!}a^k$$

The sum on the right is well-know $(1-x)^{-a}$

$$ \lim_{q \to 1^-}\frac{(aq^{x};q)_{\infty}}{(a;q)_{\infty}}= (1-x)^{-a} $$ (3)

From (3) we conclude that

$$ \lim_{q \to 1^-}\frac{(a;q)_{\infty}}{ (aq^{x};q)_{\infty}}= (1-x)^{a} $$
 
Last edited:

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