Entry 156

Given the square of the nome, so \(q = e^{2\pi i\tau}\) and the Borwein cubic theta functions \(a(q),b(q),c(q)\). Define,

$$\beta = \left(\frac{3}{\left(\tfrac{\eta(\tau/3)}{\eta(3\tau)}\right)^3+3}\right)^3=\left(\frac{c(q)}{a(q)}\right)^3$$

Then we conjecture,

$$\begin{align}\left(\frac{c(q)}{_2F_1\big(\tfrac13,\tfrac23,1,\beta\big)}\right)^3 &\overset{\color{red}?}=\beta\\ \left(\frac{b(q)}{_2F_1\big(\tfrac13,\tfrac23,1,\beta\big)}\right)^3 &\overset{\color{red}?}=1-\beta\\ \left(\frac{a(q)}{_2F_1\big(\tfrac13,\tfrac23,1,\beta\big)}\right)^3 &\overset{\color{red}?}=1\end{align}$$

Adding the first two implies the third,

$$\big(c(q)\big)^3+\big(b(q)\big)^3=\big(a(q)\big)^3$$

which is a known relationship of the Borwein cubic theta functions. As eta quotients,

$$\left(\frac{3\eta^3(3\tau)}{\eta(\tau)}\right)^3+\left(\frac{\eta^3(\tau)}{\eta(3\tau)}\right)^3 =\left(\frac{\eta^3(\tau)+9\eta^3(9\tau)}{\eta(3\tau)}\right)^3$$

Like in the previous entry, the RHS is also a sum,

$$a(q) = \sum_{m,n\,=-\infty}^\infty q^{m^2+mn+n^2} = \frac{\eta^3(\tau)+9\eta^3(9\tau)}{\eta(3\tau)}$$