On the integro-differential equation satisfied by the <var>p</var>-adic log Γ-function
Eduardo Friedman
Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

Abstract
Diamond’s p-adic analogue log ΓD(x) of the classical function log Γ(x) has recently been shown to satisfy the integro-differential equation
(∗) ∫ℤp f(x + t) dt = (x −1) f′(x) − x + 1/2 (x ∈ ℚp − ℤp),
where ∫ℤp is a Volkenborn integral and f′ is the derivative of f. We show that this equation characterizes log ΓD(x) up to a function with everywhere vanishing second derivative. Namely, every solution f of (∗) is infinitely differentiable and satisfies f′′ = log ΓD′′.
We show that the set of solutions of the homogeneous equation
∫ℤp y(x + t) dt = (x − 1) y′(x)
associated to (∗) is an infinite-dimensional commutative and associative p-adic algebra under the product law
(y1 ◊ y2)(x) : = y2′(x)y1(x) + y1′(x)y2(x) − (x − 1/2) y1′(x)y2′(x),
the unit being y(x) = x − 1/2. We also study Morita’s alternate p-adic analogue log ΓM of log Γ(x) and prove similar results.
Cite this article
Eduardo Friedman, On the integro-differential equation satisfied by the <var>p</var>-adic log Γ-function. Comment. Math. Helv. 85 (2010), no. 3, pp. 535–549
DOI 10.4171/CMH/204