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I am aware of some of the history of the gamma function $\Gamma(z)$, partly through a 2009(!) MO question "Who invented the gamma function?Who invented the gamma function?"—Euler, Bernoulli, etc. My question does not seem to be answered in that discussion, or in other historical accountings I can easily locate:

Q. Why was the symbol $\Gamma$ chosen for the generalized factorial?

Were $\alpha(z)$ and $\beta(z)$ already "taken" and so $\Gamma$ was a natural successor? Or was the choice due to the shape of the uppercase $\Gamma$? Or some other reason? Or lost to history?

I am aware of some of the history of the gamma function $\Gamma(z)$, partly through a 2009(!) MO question "Who invented the gamma function?"—Euler, Bernoulli, etc. My question does not seem to be answered in that discussion, or in other historical accountings I can easily locate:

Q. Why was the symbol $\Gamma$ chosen for the generalized factorial?

Were $\alpha(z)$ and $\beta(z)$ already "taken" and so $\Gamma$ was a natural successor? Or was the choice due to the shape of the uppercase $\Gamma$? Or some other reason? Or lost to history?

I am aware of some of the history of the gamma function $\Gamma(z)$, partly through a 2009(!) MO question "Who invented the gamma function?"—Euler, Bernoulli, etc. My question does not seem to be answered in that discussion, or in other historical accountings I can easily locate:

Q. Why was the symbol $\Gamma$ chosen for the generalized factorial?

Were $\alpha(z)$ and $\beta(z)$ already "taken" and so $\Gamma$ was a natural successor? Or was the choice due to the shape of the uppercase $\Gamma$? Or some other reason? Or lost to history?

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Joseph O'Rourke
Joseph O'Rourke
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Why does the gamma function use the symbol $\Gamma(\,)$?

I am aware of some of the history of the gamma function $\Gamma(z)$, partly through a 2009(!) MO question "Who invented the gamma function?"—Euler, Bernoulli, etc. My question does not seem to be answered in that discussion, or in other historical accountings I can easily locate:

Q. Why was the symbol $\Gamma$ chosen for the generalized factorial?

Were $\alpha(z)$ and $\beta(z)$ already "taken" and so $\Gamma$ was a natural successor? Or was the choice due to the shape of the uppercase $\Gamma$? Or some other reason? Or lost to history?