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Why is the gamma function so as it is?
Published:
2003-06-01
https://doi.org/10.5485/TMCS.2003.0008
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Copyright (c) 2003 Detlef Gronau
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Gronau, D. (2003). Why is the gamma function so as it is?. Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science, 1(1), 43-53. https://doi.org/10.5485/TMCS.2003.0008
Abstract
This is a historical note on the gamma function Γ. The question is, why is Γ(n) for naturals n equal to (n−1)! and not equal to n! (the factorial function n! = 1·2 · · · n) ? Was A. M. Legendre responsible for this transformation, or was it L. Euler? And, who was the first who gave a representation of the so called Euler gamma function?