[Math] Gamma function and Stirling’s approximation

approximation

I am interested in strong upper and lower bounds on $\frac{\Gamma(n+\alpha)}{\Gamma(n)},$ where $n$ is a large non-integral number and $\alpha$ is a small constant like $3.5.$ I know the answer is approximately $n^\alpha$ but I want multiplicative guarantees on how good this approximation is, both upper and lower bounds. I suppose there is a version of Stirling's formula that can give me what I want.

Thanks.

Best Answer

For any complex $z$, we have that $$\Gamma(z) = \sqrt{\frac{2\pi}z}\bigg(\frac z e\bigg)^z\left(1 + \mathcal O\left(\frac1z\right)\right).$$ Since you said $n$ is large, we can take $$\Gamma(n) \approx \sqrt{\frac{2\pi}n}\bigg(\frac n e\bigg)^n.$$ Applying this to your function, we get, after quite a few basic algebraic manipulations, $$\frac{\Gamma(n + \alpha)}{\Gamma(n)} \approx \bigg(1 + \frac\alpha n\bigg)^{n - \frac12}\left(\frac{n + \alpha}e\right)^\alpha\tag1$$

By taking as lower and upper bounds $$\begin{align}\mathcal L(n, \alpha) &= \bigg(1 + \frac\alpha n\bigg)^{n - 1}\left(\frac{n + \alpha}e\right)^\alpha\\ \mathcal U(n, \alpha) &= \bigg(1 + \frac\alpha n\bigg)^n\left(\frac{n + \alpha}e\right)^\alpha \end{align}$$ you obtain really strong bounds. Approximation $(1)$ is much better than $n^\alpha$.

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