An integral involving a Gaussian and a power of a normal cumulative distribution function

92 Views Asked by At

Being inspired by How to evaluate $\int_0^\infty\operatorname{erfc}^n x\ \mathrm dx$? we formulated the question below.


Let $c \in (0,1/\sqrt{2})$ and let $n \in \Bbb{N}$. Then let $\phi(x) : =\frac{\exp(-x^2/2)}{\sqrt{2\pi}}$ be the normal probability density function and let $\Phi(x) := \frac{1}{2} \operatorname{erfc}\left(\frac{-x}{\sqrt{2}}\right)$ be the standard normal cumulative density function.

In addition define:

\begin{eqnarray} {\mathfrak F}^{(A,B)}_{a,b} &:=& \int\limits_A^B \frac{\log(z+a)}{z+b} dz\\ &=& F[B,a,b] - F[A,a,b] + 1_{t^* \in (0,1)} \left( -F[A+(t^*+\epsilon)(B-A),a,b] + F[A+(t^*-\epsilon)(B-A),a,b] \right) \end{eqnarray} where \begin{eqnarray} t^*:=-\frac{\operatorname{Im}[(A+b)(b^*-a^*)]}{\operatorname{Im}[(B-A)(b^*-a^*)]} \end{eqnarray} and \begin{equation} F[z,a,b] := \log(z+a) \log\left( \frac{z+b}{b-a}\right) + \operatorname{Li}_2\left( \frac{z+a}{a-b}\right) \end{equation}


Now, consider the following integral:

\begin{equation} f_n(c) := \int\limits_{-\infty}^0 \phi(\xi) \cdot [\Phi(c \cdot \xi)]^n d\xi \end{equation}

By differentiating the function above with respect to the parameter $c$ , then completing the exponential-s to a square and then integrating by parts we have derived the following recurrence relation:

\begin{equation} \frac{d f_n(c)}{d c} = - \frac{n}{(1+c^2) 2 \pi} \cdot \left[ \frac{1}{2^{n-1}} - \frac{c \cdot (n-1)}{\sqrt{1+2 c^2}} \cdot f_{n-2} (\frac{c}{\sqrt{1+2 c^2}}) \right] \quad (ii) \end{equation}

The values of $f_n(c)$ for $n=1,2$ are known and given in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_integrals_of_Gaussian_functions for example. Here we found the result for $n=3$. By integrating the identity $(ii)$ with respect to $c$ and taking into account the initial condition $f_n(0) = 1/2^{n+1} $ we have shown that:

\begin{equation} f_3(c) = \frac{\pi -6 \tan ^{-1}(c)}{16 \pi } - \frac{3 i}{8 \pi ^2} \sum\limits_{\xi_1={-1,1}} \sum\limits_{\xi_2={-1,1}} \sum\limits_{\eta_1={-1,1}} \sum\limits_{\eta_2={-1,1}} \frac{\xi_1 \xi_2}{\imath \eta_2} {\mathfrak F}^{1,\frac{1+i \sqrt{2} c}{\sqrt{2 c^2+1}}}_{\xi_1 \sqrt{2} + \eta_1 \sqrt{3},\frac{\xi_2+\sqrt{2}}{\eta_2 \imath}} \end{equation}

Please take a glimpse at the Mathematica code below to see the consecutive steps in the derivation of that result:

In[1292]:= n = 3; c = 
 RandomReal[{0, 1/Sqrt[2]}, WorkingPrecision -> 50]; mPrec = 30;
NIntegrate[
 PDF[NormalDistribution[], xi] CDF[NormalDistribution[], c xi]^
   n, {xi, -Infinity, 0}, WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]
1/2^(n + 1) + (-n)/(2 Pi) 1/2^(n - 1) ArcTan[c] + -(1/
   32) (-1 + n) n + ((-1 + n) n ArcTan[Sqrt[-1 + 2 (1 + c^2)]])/(
 8 \[Pi]) - 
 n (n - 1)/(2 Pi)^2 NIntegrate[ 
   xi/(1 + xi^2) 1/
     Sqrt[1 + 2 xi^2] (ArcTan[xi/Sqrt[1 + 2 xi^2]]), {xi, 0, c}, 
   WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]
1/2^(n + 1) + (-n)/(2 Pi) 1/2^(n - 1) ArcTan[c] + -(1/
   32) (-1 + n) n + ((-1 + n) n ArcTan[Sqrt[-1 + 2 (1 + c^2)]])/(
 8 \[Pi]) - 
 n (n - 1)/(2 Pi)^2 NIntegrate[ (u Sqrt[(1/(1 - 2 u^2))] )/(1 - u^2)
     ArcTan[u], {u, 0, c/Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2]}, WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]
(2^(-5 - n) (16 \[Pi] - 32 n ArcTan[c] - 
    2^n (-1 + n) n (\[Pi] - 4 ArcTan[Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2]])))/\[Pi] - 
 n (n - 1)/(2 Pi)^2 NIntegrate[ (ArcTan[Sin[phi]/Sqrt[2]] Sin[phi] )/(
   2 (1 - Sin[phi]^2/2)), {phi, 0, ArcSin[Sqrt[2] c/Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2]]},
    WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]
(2^(-5 - n) (16 \[Pi] - 32 n ArcTan[c] - 
    2^n (-1 + n) n (\[Pi] - 4 ArcTan[Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2]])))/\[Pi] - 
 n (n - 1) I/(2 Pi)^2 NIntegrate[  (-1 + z^2)/(1 + 6 z^2 + z^4)
     Log[(-Sqrt[2] + 4 z + Sqrt[2] z^2)/(
     Sqrt[2] + 4 z - Sqrt[2] z^2)], {z, 1, (1 + I Sqrt[2] c)/Sqrt[
    1 + 2 c^2]}, WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]
(2^(-1 - n) (\[Pi] - 2 n ArcTan[c]))/\[Pi] - 
 n (n - 1) I/(2 Pi)^2 1/
   4 Sum[(xi2 xi1)/(eta2 I)
     FF[1, (1 + I Sqrt[2] c)/Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2], 
     xi1 Sqrt[2] + eta1 Sqrt[3], (xi2 + Sqrt[2])/(eta2 I)], {xi2, -1, 
    1, 2}, {eta2, -1, 1, 2}, {xi1, -1, 1, 2}, {eta1, -1, 1, 2}]



Out[1293]= 0.0259652081311838902701876114966

Out[1294]= 0.02596520813118389027018761149565

Out[1295]= 0.02596520813118389027018761149565

Out[1296]= 0.02596520813118389027018761149565

Out[1297]= 0.02596520813118389027018761149565 + 
 2.66030783426529888023311493014*10^-44 I

Out[1298]= 0.0259652081311838902701876114955083036534738420255 - 
 1.077372575572101842*10^-31 I

Update: Using basically the same methods as outlined above we derived the result for $n=4$. It reads:

\begin{eqnarray} &&f_4(c) -1/2^5 = -\frac{\tan ^{-1}(c)}{4 \pi } + \\ && \frac{3}{4 \pi^2} \sum\limits_{\xi_1={-1,1}} \sum\limits_{\xi_2={-1,1}} \sum\limits_{\eta_1={-1,1}} \sum\limits_{\eta_2={-1,1}} \xi_1 \xi_2 \left({\mathfrak F}^{1,\frac{1+i \sqrt{2} c}{\sqrt{2 c^2+1}}}_{\xi_2 \sqrt{2}+\eta_2 \sqrt{3},\imath(\xi_1+\eta_1 \sqrt{2})} - {\mathfrak F}^{(-1)^{1/4},\frac{1+i \sqrt{4 c^2+1}}{\sqrt{4 c^2+2}}}_{\xi_2/\sqrt{2} + \eta_2 \sqrt{3/2},\xi_1\eta_1 \imath \sqrt{2+\eta_1 \sqrt{3}}} \right) \end{eqnarray}

Again, the derivation of this result is in the Mathematica code below:

n = 4; c = 
 RandomReal[{0, 1/Sqrt[2]}, WorkingPrecision -> 50]; mPrec = 30;
(*
cc = Array[#&,100,{c-1/2,c+1/2}];
f=Interpolation[{#,NIntegrate[PDF[NormalDistribution[],xi] \
CDF[NormalDistribution[],# xi]^n,{xi,-Infinity,0},WorkingPrecision\
\[Rule]mPrec]}&/@cc];
f'[c]
-n/(2 Pi) 1/(1+c^2) (1/2^(n-1) - (n-1) c/Sqrt[1+2 c^2] 1/(2 \
Pi)(-ArcTan[c/Sqrt[1+2 c^2]] + ArcTan[Sqrt[1+2 c^2/(1+2 c^2)]]))
*)

NIntegrate[
  PDF[NormalDistribution[], xi] CDF[NormalDistribution[], c xi]^
    n, {xi, -Infinity, 0}, WorkingPrecision -> mPrec] - 1/2^(n + 1)

-n/(2 Pi) NIntegrate[
   1/(1 + xi^2) (1/
       2^(n - 1) - (n - 1) xi/
        Sqrt[1 + 2 xi^2] 1/(2 Pi) (-ArcTan[xi/Sqrt[1 + 2 xi^2]] + 
         ArcTan[Sqrt[1 + 2 xi^2/(1 + 2 xi^2)]])), {xi, 0, c}, 
   WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]
-(ArcTan[c]/(4 \[Pi])) - 
 n/(2 Pi) NIntegrate[((-1 + n) xi (ArcTan[xi/Sqrt[1 + 2 xi^2]]))/(
   2 \[Pi] (1 + xi^2) Sqrt[1 + 2 xi^2]), {xi, 0, c}, 
   WorkingPrecision -> mPrec] - 
 n/(2 Pi) NIntegrate[((-1 + 
      n) xi (-ArcTan[Sqrt[1 + (2 xi^2)/(1 + 2 xi^2)]]))/(
   2 \[Pi] (1 + xi^2) Sqrt[1 + 2 xi^2]), {xi, 0, c}, 
   WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]
-(ArcTan[c]/(4 \[Pi])) - 
 n/(2 Pi) NIntegrate[((-1 + n) u ArcTan[u])/(
   2 \[Pi] Sqrt[1 - 2 u^2] (1 - u^2)), {u, 0, c/Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2]}, 
   WorkingPrecision -> mPrec] - 
 n/(2 Pi) NIntegrate[((-1 + n) u ArcTan[u])/(
   2 \[Pi] Sqrt[2 - u^2] (-3 + u^2)), {u, 1, Sqrt[
    1 + (2 c^2)/(1 + 2 c^2)]}, WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]
-(ArcTan[c]/(4 \[Pi])) - 
 n (-1 + n) /(2 Pi) NIntegrate[(
   ArcTan[Sin[phi]/Sqrt[2]] Sin[phi])/(\[Pi] (3 + Cos[2 phi])), {phi, 
    0, ArcSin[(c Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2]]}, 
   WorkingPrecision -> mPrec] - 
 n (-1 + n)/(2 Pi) NIntegrate[( 
   ArcTan[Sqrt[2] Sin[phi]] Sin[phi])/(\[Pi] Sqrt[
    2] (-3 + 2 Sin[phi]^2)), {phi, ArcSin[1/Sqrt[2]], 
    ArcSin[1/Sqrt[2] Sqrt[1 + (2 c^2)/(1 + 2 c^2)]]}, 
   WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]

-(ArcTan[c]/(4 \[Pi])) - 
 n (-1 + n) /(2 Pi) NIntegrate[(
   ArcTan[Sin[phi]/Sqrt[2]] Sin[
     phi])/(\[Pi] (3 + 1 - 2 Sin[phi]^2)), {phi, 0, 
    ArcSin[(c Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2]]}, WorkingPrecision -> mPrec] -
  n (-1 + n)/(2 Pi) NIntegrate[( 
   ArcTan[Sqrt[2] Sin[phi]] Sin[phi])/(\[Pi] Sqrt[
    2] (-3 + 2 Sin[phi]^2)), {phi, ArcSin[1/Sqrt[2]], 
    ArcSin[1/Sqrt[2] Sqrt[1 + (2 c^2)/(1 + 2 c^2)]]}, 
   WorkingPrecision -> mPrec]

-((ArcTan[c] + 
   6 (ArcTan[Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2]] + 
      ArcTan[(1 + I Sqrt[1 + 4 c^2])/((1 + Sqrt[3]) Sqrt[
        1 + 2 c^2])] - 
      ArcTan[((1 + Sqrt[3]) (1 + I Sqrt[1 + 4 c^2]))/(
       2 Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2])]))/(4 \[Pi])) +
 n (-1 + n) /(16 Pi^2)  Sum[
   xi1 xi2 FF[1, (1 + I Sqrt[2] c)/Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2], 
     xi2 Sqrt[2] + eta2 Sqrt[3], I (xi1 + eta1 Sqrt[2])] , {xi2, -1, 
    1, 2}, {eta2, -1, 1, 2}, {xi1, -1, 1, 2}, {eta1, -1, 1, 
    2}] + -n (-1 + n)/(16 Pi^2)  Sum[
   xi1 xi2 FF[(-1)^(1/4), (1 + I Sqrt[1 + 4 c^2])/Sqrt[2 + 4 c^2], 
     xi2/Sqrt[2] + eta2 Sqrt[3/2], 
     xi1 eta1 I Sqrt[2 + eta1 Sqrt[3]]], {xi2, -1, 1, 2}, {eta2, -1, 
    1, 2}, {xi1, -1, 1, 2}, {eta1, -1, 1, 2}] 

enter image description here

Update 1: We obtained a partial answer in case $n=5$. It reads:

\begin{eqnarray} &&f_5(c) -1/2^6 = \frac{5 \left(-4 \tan ^{-1}\left(\sqrt{\frac{1}{2 c^2+1}}\right)-\tan ^{-1}(c)+\pi \right)}{32 \pi } + \\ && \frac{3(n)_{(2)}}{64 \pi^2} \sum _{\xi_1=-1,1} \sum _{\eta_1=-1,1} \sum _{\xi_2=-1,1} \sum _{\eta_2=-1,1} \eta_2 \xi_1 {\mathfrak F}^{0,\frac{\sqrt{2} c}{1+\sqrt{1+2 c^2}}}_{\frac{i \left(\sqrt{3} \eta_1+\xi_1\right)}{\sqrt{2}},\xi_2 (-1)^{\frac{\eta_2}{4}}} +\\ && -\frac{(n)_{(4)} \tan ^{-1}\left(\sqrt{2 c^2+1}\right)}{32 \pi ^3} \cdot \sum _{\xi_2=-1,1} \sum _{\eta_2=-1,1} \sum _{\xi_1=-1,1} \sum _{\eta_1=-1,1} \frac{(\xi_2 \xi_1) }{\eta_2} {\mathfrak F}^{1,\frac{i \sqrt{2} c+\sqrt{1+2 c^2}}{\sqrt{1+4 c^2}}}_{\xi_1 \sqrt{2}+\eta_1 \sqrt{3},\frac{\xi_2+\sqrt{2}}{\eta_2 i}} + \\ &&\frac{(n)_{(4)}}{8 \pi^3} \int\limits_0^c \frac{t \tan ^{-1}\left(\sqrt{2 t^2+1}\right) \left(\tan ^{-1}\left(\frac{t}{\sqrt{4 t^2+1}}\right)-\frac{\pi }{2}\right)}{\sqrt{2 t^2+1} \left(3 t^2+1\right) \sqrt{4 t^2+1}} dt \end{eqnarray}

n = 5; c = RandomReal[{0, 1/3}, WorkingPrecision -> 50]; mPrec = 40;
NIntegrate[
  PDF[NormalDistribution[], xi] CDF[NormalDistribution[], c xi]^
    n, {xi, -Infinity, 0}, WorkingPrecision -> mPrec] - 1/2^(n + 1)

(5 (\[Pi] - ArcTan[c] - 4 ArcTan[Sqrt[1/(1 + 2 c^2)]]))/(32 \[Pi]) +
 (3 (-1 + n) n)/(64 \[Pi]^2)
    Sum[eta2 xi1 FF[0, (Sqrt[2] c)/(1 + Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2]), (
     I (Sqrt[3] eta1 + xi1))/Sqrt[2], xi2 (-1)^(eta2 1/4)], {xi1, -1, 
    1, 2}, {eta1, -1, 1, 2}, {xi2, -1, 1, 2}, {eta2, -1, 1, 
    2}] + -(((-3 + n) (-2 + n) (-1 + n) n)/(32 \[Pi]^3)) ArcTan[Sqrt[
   1 + 2 c^2]] Sum[(xi2 xi1)/
    eta2  (FF[1, (I Sqrt[2] c + Sqrt[1 + 2 c^2])/Sqrt[1 + 4 c^2], 
      xi1 Sqrt[2] + eta1 Sqrt[3], (xi2 + Sqrt[2])/(
      eta2 I)]), {xi2, -1, 1, 2}, {eta2, -1, 1, 2}, {xi1, -1, 1, 
    2}, {eta1, -1, 1, 2}] + ((-3 + n) (-2 + n) (-1 + n) n)/(
  32 \[Pi]^3)
   4 (NIntegrate[
    t/(Sqrt[1 + 2 t^2] (1 + 3 t^2) Sqrt[
      1 + 4 t^2]) ((-Pi/2 + ArcTan[ t/Sqrt[1 + 4 t^2]]) ArcTan[Sqrt[
        1 + 2 t^2]]), {t, 0, c}, WorkingPrecision -> mPrec])

enter image description here

Unfortunately we are not able to evaluate the remaining integral in the right hand side.

Having said all this my question is the following. What is the result like for $n > 5$?