Beta function ($B$)

For $\mathrm{Re}p,\mathrm{Re}q>0$, Euler's beta function is

For $c=1-a-b$ with positive real parts $\mathrm{Re}a,\mathrm{Re}b,\mathrm{Re}c$, the integral converges at its two finite singularities and at infinity, and equalsTo prove it, use Schwinger parameterization with exponents $1-a$ and $1-b$. Integrating the resulting planar Gaussian integral gives $\pi /(\lambda +\rho )$ times $\exp [-\lambda \rho /(\lambda +\rho )]$. Set $q=\lambda +\rho$ and $x=\lambda /q$; the $q$ integral is a gamma function and the $x$ integral is $B(a,b)$, giving the stated ratio. This domain justifies the interchanges; elsewhere the answer is interpreted by analytic continuation. The string measure $d^{2}z=2dxdy$ multiplies the answer by two.

The sum-and-ratio change of variables in a product of gamma integrals gives

For $s,t>0$, put $r=s+t$ and $u=t/(s+t)$. Then $(s,t)=(r(1-u),ru)$ and $dsdt=rdrdu$, separating radial gamma and ratio beta integrals.

The Beta function obeysThese identities follow immediately from the beta--gamma identity and the Gamma function recurrence.

For $0<a<2$,Differentiating at $a=1$ and expanding the secant gives