Infinite products $f(x) = \prod_{n=1}^{\infty}(1-x^n)$ and $g(x) = \prod_{n=1}^{\infty}(1+x^n)$

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Consider the functions

$ f(x) = \prod_{n=1}^{\infty}(1-x^n) $

and

$ g(x) = \prod_{n=1}^{\infty}(1+x^n) $

$f(x)$ is defined for $x\in[-1,1]$ and $g(x)$ is defined for $x\in[-1,0]$.

I was wondering if there was a different/better way to express these functions, such as a closed-form expression/power series.

Desmos screenshot ($f(x)$ in red and $g(x)$ in blue)

Edit: As pointed out by donaastor the Pentagonal Number Theorem can be used to express $f(x)$ as a power series.

Edit 2: The Euler function $\phi(x)$ seems similar to $f(x)$ but with a different domain. For $\phi(x)$ the domain is $x\in(-\infty,-1)\cup(1,\infty)$.

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Note that for $x\in(-1,1)$ we have $-1<x^n<1$, so $0<1-x^n<2$. Thus $$f(x)=\left|\prod_{n\ge1}(1-x^n)\right|=\prod_{n\ge1}|1-x^n|=\prod_{n\ge1}(1-x^n).$$ Furthermore, $$f(x)g(x)=\prod_{n\ge1}(1+x^n)(1-x^n)=\prod_{n\ge1}(1-x^{2n})=f(x^2),$$ so $g(x)=f(x^2)/f(x)$.

These functions don't have closed forms in terms of elementary functions, but they are extensively studied for their number-theoretic properties. We will consider their series expansions.

It is the case that these functions have a lot of significance in the study of integer partitions. Specifically, they are related to generating functions of specific kinds of partitions. I'll demonstrate a general result and show how it relates to these functions.

Theorem: Let $T\subseteq\Bbb N$ be nonempty and let $p_T(n)$ be equal to the number of integer partitions of a positive integer $n$ into parts all belonging to $T$ (also known as $T$-partitions of $n$). Then the generating function of $p_T(n)$ is given by $$P_T(q):=\sum_{n\ge0}p_T(n)q^n=\prod_{k\in T}\frac{1}{1-q^k},\tag{$\star$}$$ where $|q|<1$.

Immediately you will see that when $T=\Bbb N$, $P_{\Bbb N}(q)=1/f(q)$, and $g(q)=P_{\Bbb N}(q)/P_{\Bbb N}(q^2)$. In this case, $P_{\Bbb N}(q)$ is the generating function for the total number of partitions of $n$. The proof of the result is at the end of this answer.

Since $P(x)=1/f(x)=\sum_{n\ge0}p(n)x^n,$ we have that if $f(x)=\sum_{n\ge0}f_nx^n$ then $$P(x)f(x)=\frac1{f(x)}f(x)=1=\sum_{n\ge0}x^n\sum_{k=0}^{n}p(k)f_{n-k}.$$ This gives $$p(0)=f_0=1,\qquad\qquad \sum_{k=0}^np(k)f_{n-k}=0\qquad n\ge1.$$ As others noted, this is the pentagonal number theorem, and $f_n=(-1)^k$ when $n=k(3k-1)/2$ and $0$ otherwise.

As for $g(q)=f(q^2)/f(q)=P(q)/P(q^2)$, we will examine $P(q)$ again. Note that $$\begin{align} P(q)=\prod_{n\ge1}\frac{1}{1-q^n}&=\frac{1}{1-q}\frac{1}{1-q^2}\frac{1}{1-q^3}\frac{1}{1-q^4}\cdots\\ &=\left(\frac{1}{1-q^2}\frac{1}{1-q^4}\frac{1}{1-q^6}\cdots\right)\left(\frac{1}{1-q}\frac{1}{1-q^3}\frac{1}{1-q^5}\cdots\right)\\ &=\left(\prod_{k\ge1}\frac{1}{1-q^{2k}}\right)\left(\prod_{k\ge1}\frac{1}{1-q^{2k-1}}\right)\\ &=P(q^2)\prod_{k\ge1}\frac{1}{1-q^{2k-1}}. \end{align}$$ Thus $$g(q)=\frac{P(q)}{P(q^2)}=\prod_{k\ge1}\frac{1}{1-q^{2k-1}}.$$ Note however that if we write $O=\{2k-1:k\in\Bbb N\}$ to be the set of odd positive integers, we get that $$g(q)=\prod_{k\in O}\frac{1}{1-q^k}.$$ Applying the above theorem, $g(q)$ is seen to be the generating function for partitions of $n$ into odd parts.


Proof. Consider the series expansion of the product in $(\star)$. From the geometric series, we obtain $$\prod_{k\in T}\frac{1}{1-q^k}=\prod_{k\in T}\left(\sum_{n\ge0}q^{nk}\right).$$ Since $T\subseteq\Bbb N$, we have $k\ge1$, and thus the sums on the right converge absolutely, and we are justified in expanding the product as $$\prod_{k\in T}\left(\sum_{n\ge0}q^{nk}\right)=\sum_{n_1,n_2,n_3,...} q^{n_1k_1}q^{n_2k_2}q^{n_3k_3}\cdots=\sum_{n_{k_1},n_{k_2},n_{k_3},...}\prod_{k\in T}q^{n_kk},\tag1$$ where the sum is over all $n_{k_1},n_{k_2},n_{k_3},...\ge0$, and we have written $T=\{k_1,k_2,k_3,...\}$.

Suppose that $T$ is finite. Then write $T=\{k_1,...,k_m\}$ to obtain $$\prod_{k\in T}\frac{1}{1-q^k}=\sum_{n_1,...,n_m\ge0}q^{n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_mk_m}.\tag2$$ We will use this later.

In the case that $T$ is infinite, we consider the limit $$\prod_{k\in T}q^{n_kk}=\lim_{i\to\infty}q^{n_1k_1}q^{n_2k_2}\cdots q^{n_ik_i}=\lim_{i\to\infty}q^{n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_ik_i}.$$ To evaluate this limit we must consider the behavior of the sequence $(n_i)_{i\ge1}=(n_1,n_2,n_3,...)$. If it converges to zero, then there is some $j\ge1$ such that $i> j\Rightarrow n_i=0$. In this case $$i>j\Rightarrow n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_jk_j+...=n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_jk_j,$$ which gives $$\prod_{k\in T}q^{n_kk}=\lim_{i\to\infty}q^{n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_jk_j}=q^{n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_jk_j}.$$ In the case that $(n_i)_{i\ge1}$ does not converge to $0$, the sum $n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_ik_i$ grows without bound. Since $|q|<1$, we have $$\prod_{k\in T}q^{n_kk}=\lim_{i\to\infty}q^{n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_ik_i}=\lim_{i\to\infty}q^i=0.$$ So we only need to consider the cases of $(n_i)_{i\ge1}$ with a finite number of nonzero terms. That is, $$\prod_{k\in T}\frac{1}{1-q^k}=\sum_{m\ge0}\sum_{n_1,...,n_m\ge0}q^{n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_mk_m}.\tag3$$ So, regardless of the size of $T$, we are taking a sum of $q^N$, where $N\ge0$ is an integer and it can be written as $N=n_1k_1+n_2k_2+...+n_mk_m$ for some choice of $(n_i,k_i)$. Clearly, this is an integer partition of $N$. Examining this partition, we see $$n_1k_1+n_2k_2+..+n_mk_m=\underbrace{k_1+k_1+...+k_1}_{n_1\text{ times}}+...+\underbrace{k_m+k_m+...+k_m}_{n_m\text{ times}},$$ revealing that this is a partition of $N$ into parts belonging to $T$, as $k_i\in T$. We may reindex the sums $(2),(3)$ in terms of N, and get that they are both equal to $$\prod_{k\in T}\frac{1}{1-q^k}=\sum_{N\ge0}\sum_{N=n_1k_1+...+n_rk_r}q^N=\sum_{N\ge0}q^N\sum_{N=n_1k_1+...+n_rk_r}1.$$ The quantity $\sum_{N=n_1k_1+...+n_rk_r}1$ clearly counts the number of partitions of $N$ into parts belonging to $T$. That is, $$\prod_{k\in T}\frac{1}{1-q^k}=\sum_{n\ge0}p_T(n)q^n=P_T(q).$$ This completes the proof.

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The power series $$ \prod_{n=1}^\infty (1-x^n) = (x,x)_\infty = f(-x,-x^2) = f(-x) $$ where $f()$ is the Ramanujan theta function. This power series is the ordinary generating function of OEIS sequence A010815 which you can read for much more information. The infinite product and the power series both converge exactly when $x^n\to 0$ as $n\to\infty$. Their reciprocal is the generating function for all integer partitions.

Now $(1+x) = (1-x^2)/(1-x)$ which implies $$ \prod_{n=1}^\infty (1+x^n) = \prod_{n=1}^\infty (1-x^{2n})/(1-x^n) = (x^2,x^2)_\infty/(x,x)_\infty.$$ Again, the infinite product and power series both converge exactly when $x^n\to 0$ as $n\to\infty$. This power series is the ordinary generating function of OEIS sequence A000009 which you can read for much more information including its interpretation as partitions into distinct parts.