On the evaluation of generalized exponential integrals \(E_{\nu}(x)\) (Q1107946)

The authors propose a method for evaluating the generalized exponential integral function \[ E_{\nu}(x)=\int^{\infty}_{1}e^{-tx}t^{- \nu}dt=x^{\nu -1}\Gamma (1-\nu,x) \] for \(x>0\), \(\nu\in R\). In a previous paper [Comput. Math. Appl. 14, 261-268 (1987; Zbl 0633.65016)] they discussed the case \(\nu >0\). In the present paper, they take the following methods. For \(x\geq 1\), they use an asymptotic expansion \[ E_{\nu}(x)=e^{-x}/(x+\nu)[\sum^{k-1}_{\ell =0}x^{- \ell}(1+x/\nu)^{-2l}h_{\ell}(x/\nu)+R_ k(x,\nu)] \] where \(\{h_{\ell}(u)\}\) are polynomials defined recursively by \(h_ 0(u)=1;\quad h_{\ell +1}(u)=(1-2\ell u)h_{\ell}(u)+u(1+u)dh_{\ell}(u)/du,\) and the Taylor expansion \(E_{\nu}(x-y)=\sum^{\infty}_{k=0}(y^ k/k!)E_{\nu -k}(x),\) with the recurrence \(E_ 0(x)=e^{-x}/x;\quad E_ r(x)=[e^{-x}- rE_{r+1}(x)]/x.\) For \(0<x<1\), they apply recursive calculation starting from a suitable initial element calculated by means of analytic expressions such as \[ E_{\nu}(x)=\frac{1}{1-\nu}[\frac{\Gamma (2- \nu)}{x^{1-\nu}}-e^{-x/2}\quad \sum^{\infty}_{i=0}\frac{(x/2)^ i\nu^ i}{i!(2-\nu)_ i}\sum^{i}_{m=0}\frac{a_ m}{\nu^ m}(i- m+1)_ m], \] where \(\{a_ m\}\) are generated recursively by \(a_ 0=1\), \(a_ 1=0\), \(a_ 2=1-\nu /2\); \((m+1)a_{m+1}=(m-\nu +1)a_{m- 1}+\nu a_{m-2}.\) In the final section, they give numerical tables and error analysis.