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Srinivasa Ramanujan Life and Mathematics: Christian Krattenthaler
Srinivasa Ramanujan Life and Mathematics: Christian Krattenthaler
Christian Krattenthaler
Universität Wien
√ √
s
1 5+ 5 5 + 1 2π/5
= − e
e −2π 2 2
1+
e −4π
1+
e −6π
1+
..
.
3 Notebooks
37 published mathematical papers
(J. Indian Math. Soc., Proc. London Math. Soc., Proc.
Cambridge Philos. Soc., Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc., Proc.
Royal Soc., Messenger Math., Quart. J. Math.)
the “Lost Notebook”
√ √
s
1 5+ 5 5 + 1 2π/5
= − e
e −2π 2 2
1+
e −4π
1+
e −6π
1+
..
.
√ √
s
1 5+ 5 5 + 1 2π/5
= − e
e −2π 2 2
1+
e −4π
1+
e −6π
1+
..
.
One can show that
2
P∞ qn
q n=0 (q;q)n
1+ = ,
q2
P∞ qn(n+1)
1+ n=0 (q;q)n
q3
1+
q4
1+
..
.
where (α; q)n := (1 − α)(1 − αq) · · · (1 − αq n−1 ), n ≥ 1, and
(α; q)0 := 1.
Christian Krattenthaler Srinivasa Ramanujan
The Rogers–Ramanujan Identities
One can show that
2
P∞ qn
q n=0 (q;q)n
1+ = .
q2
P∞ qn(n+1)
1+ n=0 (q;q)n
q3
1+
q4
1+
..
.
∞ 2
X qn 1
=
(q; q)n (q; q )∞ (q 4 ; q 5 )∞
5
n=0
and
∞
X q n(n+1) 1
= .
(q; q)n (q 2 ; q 5 )∞ (q 3 ; q 5 )∞
n=0
∞ 2
X qn 1
=
(q; q)n (q; q )∞ (q 4 ; q 5 )∞
5
n=0
∞ 2
X qn 1
=
(q; q)n (q; q )∞ (q 4 ; q 5 )∞
5
n=0
X∞ X∞ ∞
X ∞
X
= q k1 q 4k4 q 6k6 q 9k9 · · ·
k1 =0 k4 =0 k6 =0 k9 =0
X
k1 ·1+k4 ·4+k6 ·6+k9 ·9+···
= q .
Hence: the coefficient of q N on the right-hand side counts all
partitions of N into parts (summands) which are congruent to ±1
modulo 5.
∞ 2
X qn 1
=
(q; q)n (q; q )∞ (q 4 ; q 5 )∞
5
n=0
∞ 2
X qn 1
=
(q; q)n (q; q )∞ (q 4 ; q 5 )∞
5
n=0
∞ 2
X qn 1
=
(q; q)n (q; q )∞ (q 4 ; q 5 )∞
5
n=0
∞ 2
X qn 1
=
(q; q)n (q; q )∞ (q 4 ; q 5 )∞
5
n=0
∞ 2
X qn 1
=
(q; q)n (q; q )∞ (q 4 ; q 5 )∞
5
n=0
∞ 2
X qn 1
=
(q; q)n (q; q )∞ (q 4 ; q 5 )∞
5
n=0
Now consider
G (x)
H(x) = − G (xq).
1 − xq
Now consider
G (x)
K (x) = .
(1 − xq)G (xq)
Not at all!
→ Both expressions are modular forms of weight 0
→ Both are denominators in characters of the affine Kac–Moody
(1)
algebra of type A1
→ The identities were needed in the solution of the so-called
hard hexagon model by Rodney James Baxter (*1940)
...............
Not at all!
→ Both expressions are modular forms of weight 0
→ Both are denominators in characters of the affine Kac–Moody
(1)
algebra of type A1
→ The identities were needed in the solution of the so-called
hard hexagon model by Rodney James Baxter (*1940)
...............