Integration of incomplete gamma function

In summary, Alexis is trying to integrate the incomplete gamma function but is not sure how to go about it. Jason provides a helpful suggestion about completing the square in the exponent and this leads to the polynomial times e^{-x+u/v}. The other part of the integrand is a Gaussian exponent and therefore, Alexis does not see how to proceed. However, Jason suggests that he may be able to approximate the upper incomplete gamma function in some other way.
  • #1
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Hi,

I am interested in performing the following integration:

[tex]\int _{-\infty }^{\infty }\Gamma\left[k,\frac{x+u}{v}\right]e^{-\frac{(x-m)^2}{2\sigma ^2}}dx
[/tex].

I would appreciate anyone's help. I have been trying to do it in Mathematica but it runs out of time returning the same integral.

Thanks in advance.

Alex
 
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  • #2
is [tex]k[/tex] and integer? If so, then the incomplete gamma function is a polynomial times an exponential:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incomplete_gamma_function

so you just complete the square in the exponent and you have a finite sum of moments of a Gaussian, which are easy to look up

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_distribution

Of course this will be very messy to write out, and at the end you will have a finite sum of confluent hypergeometric functions (which may not be useful to you at all) but it is doable. Nicer forms may be possible, too.

For arbitrary [tex]k[/tex] this is really hard, I think.

good luck,

jason

jason
 
  • #3
Thanks, your comment was helpful about the moment generating function of a Gaussian.

k is an integer in my case. I will give it a try.

Best Regards,

Alex
 
  • #4
I tried to do what you suggested, but I am not sure how to proceed in completing the square. In case, [tex] k [/tex] is an integer we get the polynomial as you said times [tex] e^{-x+u/v} [/tex]. The other part of the integrand is a Gaussian exponent. Therefore, I do not see how to proceed especially since the moment of a Gaussian is obtained via the Fourier transform. The first exponent in my case is not complex.

Can I approximate the upper incomplete Gamma function [tex]\Gamma[k,\frac{x+u}{v}] [/tex] in some other way in order to then be able to perform the integration?

Thanks again.
 

Related to Integration of incomplete gamma function

1. What is the incomplete gamma function?

The incomplete gamma function is a mathematical function that is used to evaluate integrals in the field of statistics and probability. It is denoted by Γ(x, s) and is defined as the integral of the gamma function from 0 to s.

2. How is the incomplete gamma function related to the gamma function?

The incomplete gamma function is a generalization of the gamma function. It is essentially the gamma function with a lower limit of integration instead of starting at 0. The gamma function can be expressed in terms of the incomplete gamma function as Γ(x) = Γ(x, ∞).

3. What is the significance of the incomplete gamma function in statistics?

The incomplete gamma function is used in statistical analysis to calculate probabilities and cumulative distribution functions for certain types of distributions, such as the chi-square distribution and the exponential distribution. It is also used in the calculation of confidence intervals and in hypothesis testing.

4. What are some properties of the incomplete gamma function?

Some important properties of the incomplete gamma function include its relationship to the gamma function, its asymptotic behavior for large values of x, and its recurrence relation. It also has various special cases, such as the upper incomplete gamma function and the complementary incomplete gamma function, which have their own properties and applications.

5. How is the incomplete gamma function computed?

There are various methods for computing the incomplete gamma function, including numerical integration, power series expansion, continued fraction expansion, and special function approximations. The most efficient method depends on the specific values of x and s. Many mathematical software packages also have built-in functions for calculating the incomplete gamma function.

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