The bounds of the solutions to generalized modular equations (Q2496683)

The generalized modular equation of signature \(1/a, a \in(0,1),\) and degree \(p\), \[ \mu_a(s) = p\mu_a(r),\quad \mu_a(r) \equiv{\pi\over 2\sin(\pi a)} {F(a,1-a;1;1-r^2)\over F(a,1-a;1;r^2)}, \] was studied extensively by \textit{Ramanujan} see \textit{B. C. Berndt, S. Bhargava} and \textit{F. G. Garvan}, [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 347, No. 11, 4163--4244 (1995; Zbl 0843.33012)]. Its solution is \(s = \varphi_K^a(r)\), where \(K = 1/p\) and \(\varphi_K^a (r) \equiv \mu_a^{-1}(\mu_a(r)/K)\) and \(F(a,b;c;r)\) stands for the Gaussian hypergeometric function. It is perhaps surprising that for certain rational values of \(a\), such as \({1\over 3}\), \({1\over 4}\), \({1\over 6}\), the solution \(s\) satisfies certain algebraic identities (involving \(r\) and \(s\)). Recently, \textit{G. D. Anderson, M. Vamanamurthy, S.-L. Qiu}, and \textit{M. Vuorinen} [Pac. J. Math. 192, No. 1, 1--37 (2000; Zbl 0951.33012)] proved some inequalities for \(\mu_a(r).\) The present paper continues this study and refines some of these inequalities. This topic was very recently also studied in \textit{Á. Baricz}, ``Functional inequalities involving special functions''. [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 319, No. 2, 450--459 (2006; Zbl 1091.33002)] and [\textit{X. Zhang, G. Wang, Y. Chu}, Some inequalities for the generalized Grötzsch function, Proc. Edinb. Math. Soc. (to appear)].