Asymptotics of a Gauss hypergeometric function with large parameters, III: Application to the Legendre functions of large imaginary order and real degree

We obtain the asymptotic expansion for the Gauss hypergeometric function $F(a-λ,b+λ;c+iαλ;z)$ for $λ\rightarrow+\infty$ with $a$, $b$ and $c$ finite parameters by application of the method of steepest descents. The quantity $α$ is real, so that the denominatorial parameter is complex and $z$ is a finite complex variable restricted to lie in the sector $|\arg (1-z)|<π$. We concentrate on the particular case $a=0$, $b=c=1$, which is associated with the Legendre functions of real degree and imaginary order. The resulting expansions are of Poincaré type and hold in restricted domains of the $z$-plane. An expansion is given at the coalescence of two saddle points. Numerical results illustrating the accuracy of the different expansions are given.

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