The structure of bivariate rational hypergeometric functions

Abstract

We describe the structure of all codimension-two lattice configurations $A$ which admit a stable rational $A$-hypergeometric function, that is a rational function $F$ all whose partial derivatives are non zero, and which is a solution of the $A$-hypergeometric system of partial differential equations defined by Gel'fand, Kapranov and Zelevinsky. We show, moreover, that all stable rational $A$-hypergeometric functions may be described by toric residues and apply our results to study the rationality of bivariate series whose coefficients are quotients of factorials of linear forms.