On a sequence of continued fractions of Ramanujan and their \(q\)-analogs (Q1817425)

The author proves that the continued fraction related difference equation \[ {{\psi(x,y)}\over{\psi(x-1,y)}}= {x\over {x-y-1+ { {\displaystyle \psi(x+1,y)} \over{\displaystyle\psi(x,y)} }}} \] with boundary condition \(\psi(0,y)=1\) for all \(y\in\mathbb{R}\) has only one formal series solution of the form \(\psi(x,y)=\sum_{k=0}^\infty a_k x^k\). It is given by \[ \psi(x,y)=\sum_{k=0}^\infty k!{x\choose k}{y\choose k} \] For \(x\) and/or \(y\) a non-negative integer the series terminates and \(\psi(x,y)=\psi(y,x)\). A \(q\)-version of this result is also presented.