A \(q\)-analog of the balanced \(_ 3F_ 2\) summation theorem for hypergeometric series in \(U(n)\) (Q1261128)

A \(q\)-analog of Holman's \(U(n)\) generalization of the classical Pfaff- Saalschutz summation theorem for terminating balanced \(_ 3F_ 2\) hypergeometric series. This generalizes Jackson's classical one- dimensional \(q\)-Pfaff-Saalschutz sum. The main result is obtained by a new general \(q\)-difference equation for ``balanced'' basic hypergeometric series in \(U(n)\) and ``both'' \(q\)-analogs of Holman's \(U(n)\) generalization of the Vandermonde summation theorem. These \(U(n)\) extensions of the Vandermonde sum where proved in [\textit{S. C. Milne}, Adv. Math. 72, 59-131 (1988; Zbl 0658.33005)]. One consequence of this method is that even in the classical one-dimensional case a new proof of the \(q\)-Pfaff-Saalschutz sum is given. This one-dimensional proof is certainly not the easiest, yet it does shed light on the structure of hypergeometric series.