Remarks on generalized trigonometric functions (Q422000)

A natural generalization of the sine function, denoted by \(\sin_p\) (\(1<p<\infty\)), occurs as an eigenfunction of the Dirichlet problem on \([ 0,1 ]\) for the one-dimensional \(p\)-Laplacian: \[ - \Delta_p u := - (| u' |^{p-2} u')'= \lambda | u |^{p-2} u, \;\;u(0)=u(1)=0. \] More precisely, the eigenfunctions of the above problem are \(\sin_p{(n \pi_p t)}\) with \(n \in \mathbb{N}\) and \(\pi_p = \frac{2 \pi}{p \sin{(\pi/p)}}\). Note that the ordinary sine function corresponds to \(p=2\). p-analogues of the other trigonometric functions are then easily defined. For example, \(\cos_p\) is defined to be the derivative of \(\sin_p\). In this lengthy paper the properties of the \(p\)-trigonometric functions are studied, making use of connections with functions from classical analysis, for example the hypergeometric function. The paper starts with what might be called the \(p\)-calculus and gives a variety of results involving derivatives and integrals of the \(p\)-trigonometric functions, followed by interesting identities and inequalities such as a \(p\)-analogue of the classical Jordan inequality. Also a new representation of Catalan's constant \(G\), which is defined by the series \[ G= \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} \frac{(-1)^k}{(2k+1)^2}, \] and which appears in estimates of certain combinatorial functions and in various definite integrals, is obtained. Next, for the integral \[ I_p:= p \int_0^1 \log{\sin_p{(\pi_p \theta / 2)}} d\theta \] several representations are given. Finally, the Fourier sine coefficients of the \(p\)-eigenfunctions \(\sin_p{(n \pi_p t)}\) on \([ 0,1 ]\) are discussed. Their limiting behaviour is studied and a variety of identities of Parseval type involving these coefficients is obtained.