Bohr-Mollerup_theorem Bohr-Mollerup_theorem

Bohr-Mollerup theorem - Definition and Overview

In mathematical analysis, the Bohr-Mollerup theorem, named after the Danish mathematicians Harald Bohr and Johannes Mollerup, who proved it, characterizes the gamma function, defined for x > 0 by

<math>\Gamma(x)=\int_0^\infty t^{x-1} e^{-t}\,dt<math>

as the only function f on the interval x > 0 that simultaneously has the three properties

  • <math>f(1)=1,<math> and
  • <math>f(x+1)=xf(x)\ \mbox{for}\ x>0,<math> and
  • <math>\log f<math> is a convex function.

That log f is convex is often expressed by saying that f is log-convex, i.e., a log-convex function is one whose logarithm is convex.

External link

Proof, at PlanetMath (http://planetmath.org/?op=getobj&from=objects&id=3808)

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