what is the point of the gamma function
So we see that the Gamma function is a generalization of the factorial function. Since at integer points, the value of the Gamma function is given by the factorial, it follows that the Gamma function grows to infinity even faster than exponentials. Definition. For x,y positive we define the Beta function by. Using the substitution u = 1 - t it is easy to see that.
General. 1  The gamma function is used in the mathematical and applied sciences almost as often as the well-known factorial symbol . It was introduced by the famous mathematician L. Euler (1729) as a natural extension of the factorial operation from positive integers to real and even complex values of the argument .