Gauss hypergeometric representations of the Ferrers function of the second kind (Q2035741)

This review paper is concerned with hypergeometric representations of a second solution of the `associated Legendre differential equation', possibly from the thesis by Olbricht. The concept is quite complex, since a complex order is used. Usually the order \(m\) is the number of derivatives of the Legendre polynomial like in Mary Boas book. The reviewer cannot imagine that Olbricht used a complex order. Many papers are qouted, and a long table with 18 such hypergeometric representations with corresponding complex domains is given. Each entry refers to the corresponding theorem, which is then proved. Convergence regions for all functions are given and some depicted. The proofs use Euler's reflection formula and duplication formula for the gamma function and Euler's and Pfaff's transformations. The authors write on p. 3: `In such a well-investigated area one cannot claim to have new results'. We observe that the functions in the paper are not the usual second associated Legendre functions \(Q_{\nu}^{\mu}\) from Steguns or Magnus books etc.. The authors use the Gelfand notation for distributions \((x+i0)\), possibly to indicate a certain limit, but do not refer to him. It is not clear if Olbricht's thesis (from 1887!) contains these `other second associated Legendre functions' in the paper under review, and it is very hard to get a copy of it. For some reason it was not reviewed in zbMATH. Also the book by Ferrers, which is in the title, does only mention Legendre polynomials and spherical harmonics, to name a few items. It should be noted that quite a few variations of second `associated Legendre functions' exist in the modern literature.