Bounds and monotonicity of the Nielsen beta function (Q6957016)

A function \(f\) is said to be \textit{completely monotonic} on the interval \((a,b)\) if \(f\) has derivatives of all orders on \((a,b)\) and satisfies the inequality:\N\[\N(-1)^nf^{(n)}(x) \geq 0\quad\text{for all}\quad x \in (a,b)\quad\text{and}\quad n=0,1,2,\ldots.\N\]\NA function \(f:(0,\infty)\to (0,\infty)\) is called a \textit{Bernstein function} if \(f\) is infinitely differentiable and\N\[\N(-1)^nf^{(n+1)}(x) \geq 0 \quad\text{for all}\quad x>0\quad\text{and}\quad n=0,1,2,\ldots.\N\]\NThe purpose of this article is to establish the completely monotonicity of certain functions related to the Nielsen \(\beta\)-function\N\[\N\beta(x)=\int_{0}^{1}\frac{t^{x-1}}{1+t}dt,\qquad x>0.\N\]\NThe main results of the article are the following statements.\N\N{Theorem 1.}\N\begin{itemize}\N\item[(1)] The function \(f_1(x)=x\beta(x)-\frac{1}{ 2}\) is completely monotonic on \((0,\infty)\).\N\item[(2)] The function \(f_2(x)=x\beta^{(2n)}(x)+2n\beta^{(2n-1)}(x)\) is completely monotonic on \((0,\infty)\) and maps \((0,\infty)\) onto \((0,\Gamma(2n+1)\eta(2n))\) for all \(n\in \mathbb{N}\), where \(\Gamma\) is the Euler gamma function and\N\[\N\eta(x)=\sum_{j=1}^{\infty}\frac{(-1)^{j-1}}{j^x}.\N\]\N\item[(3)] The negative of the function \(f_3(x)=x\beta^{(2n-1)}(x)+(2n-1)\beta^{(2n-2)}(x)\) is completely monotonic on \((0,\infty)\) and maps \((0,\infty)\) onto \((-\Gamma(2n)\eta(2n-1),0)\) for all \(n\in \mathbb{N}\).\N\end{itemize}\N\N{Theorem 2.} The function \(f_4(x)=\frac{1}{4}+\frac{x}{2} -x^2\beta(x)\) is completely monotonic on \((0,\infty)\), and bounded by\N\[\N0<\frac{1}{4}+\frac{x}{2} -x^2\beta(x)<\frac{1}{4}.\N\]\N\N{Theorem 3.} The following limits hold\N\begin{itemize}\N\item[(1)] \(\lim_{x \to 0+} \Big(\frac{x}{2}-x^2 \beta(x)\Big)=0\);\N\item[(2)] \(\lim_{x \to \infty} \Big(x^2 \beta(x)-\frac{x}{2}\Big)=\frac{1}{4}\); and\N\item[(3)] the function \((-1)^n f_4^{(n)}(x)\) is completely monotonic on \((0,\infty)\) for all \(n\in \mathbb{N}\) with the limit \( \lim_{x \to 0+} (-1)^n f_4^{(n)}(x)=\Gamma(n+1)\eta(n-1)\).\N\end{itemize}\N\N{Theorem 4.} The function \(f_5(x)=\frac{\beta(x+\frac{1}{ 2})}{\beta(x)}\) is monotonically increasing on \((0,\infty)\) and maps \((0,\infty)\) onto \((0,1)\).\N\N{Theorem 5.} The function \(f_6(x)=\frac{\beta'(x+\frac{1}{ 2})}{\beta'(x)}\) is monotonically increasing on \((0,\infty)\) and maps \((0,\infty)\) onto \((0,1)\).\N\NAs an application of these results, the authors construct several bounded Bernstein functions involving the Nielsen beta function.