Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2018 / ii / Paper 1 / 7B / a / Solution

In the integral defining the Beta function, put $t=(1+x)/2$ and then $u=x^2$. Symmetry givesThis proves the identity for $\mathrm{Re}z>0$. Both sides extend by analytic continuation to the same meromorphic function, equivalently by the beta--gamma identity and the Gamma duplication formula. The identity holds meromorphically for every $z\in \mathbb{C}$; both sides are finite for $z\notin \{0,-1,-2,\dots \}$ and have matching poles at the excluded points.