TITLE: Rogers-Ramanujan continued fraction in terms of Jacobi theta functions?
QUESTION [8 upvotes]: The Rogers-Ramanujan cfrac is,
$$r = r(\tau)= \cfrac{q^{1/5}}{1+\cfrac{q}{1+\cfrac{q^2}{1+\ddots}}}$$
If $q = \exp(2\pi i \tau)$, then it is known that,
$$\frac{1}{r}-r =\frac{\eta(\tau/5)}{\eta(5\tau)}+1\tag1$$
$$\frac{1}{r^5}-r^5 =\left(\frac{\eta(\tau)}{\eta(5\tau)}\right)^6+11\tag2$$
with the Dedekind eta function, $\eta(\tau)$.
Q: Is there a similar simple identity known using ratios of the Jacobi theta functions $\vartheta_n(0,q)$?

$\color{brown}{Edit}$: In response to a comment, here are some details. Suppose we don't know $(2)$. One way to find such relations is to use known identities. Given the j-function $j(\tau)$, we have,
$$j(\tau)=-\frac{(r^{20} - 228r^{15} + 494r^{10} + 228r^5 + 1)^3}{r^5(r^{10} + 11r^5 - 1)^5}\tag3$$
$$j(\tau)=\frac{(5x^2+10x+1)^3}{x^5}\tag4$$
where $x = \left(\frac{\eta(\tau)}{\sqrt{5}\,\eta(5\tau)}\right)^6$. Equate $(3),\,(4)$,
$$-\frac{(r^{20} - 228r^{15} + 494r^{10} + 228r^5 + 1)^3}{r^5(r^{10} + 11r^5 - 1)^5} = \frac{(5x^2+10x+1)^3}{x^5}\tag5$$
and using symbolic software like Mathematica to factor $(5)$, we find one factor is given by,
$$\frac{1}{r^5}-r^5 =125x+11\tag6$$
and it only takes minor tweaking to make $(6)$ have the form of $(2)$. Thus, all we need is to express $j(\tau)$ not by an eta quotient $x$, but by a theta quotient $y=\left(\frac{\vartheta_n(0,q)}{\vartheta_n(0,q^5)}\right)^k$ so that,
$$j(\tau) = \frac{f_1(y)}{f_2(y)}\tag7$$
is a ratio of polynomials in $y$.
$\color{brown}{P.S.}$ The motivation for this is that the general quintic is solvable by the Rogers-Ramanujan cfrac via the eta quotient above as described in this post.

REPLY [2 votes]: I'm sorry about the octic cfrac. Yes it seems to be non trivial. In Berndt's book (see: B.C. Berndt. "Ramanujan Notebooks III". Springer Verlag, New York (1991), In chapter 19 Entry 1) one can find the expansion
$$
M(q)=\tfrac{1}{2}\,q^{1/8}\frac{\sum^{\infty}_{n=-\infty}q^{n^2/2+n/2}}{\sum^{\infty}_{n=-\infty}q^{n^2}}=\frac{q^{1/8}}{1+}\frac{q}{1+q+}\frac{q^2}{1+q^2+}\frac{q^3}{1+q^3+}\ldots
$$
Hence if $|q|<1$ and
$$
\vartheta_3(z,q):=\sum^{\infty}_{n=-\infty}q^{n^2}e^{2niz}
$$
For $x>0$ we have
$$
M(e^{-x})=\tfrac{1}{2}\,e^{-x/8}\frac{\vartheta_3(ix/4,e^{-x/2})}{\vartheta_3(0,e^{-x})}
$$
Equivalently, let $q = e^{2\pi i z}$, then
$$M(q) = \tfrac{1}{2}\,q^{1/8} \frac{\vartheta_3\big(i\ln(q^{1/4}),q^{1/2}\big)}{\vartheta_3(0,q)}=\frac{\eta(z)\,\eta^2(4z)}{\eta^3(2z)}$$
where $\eta(z)$ is the Dedekind eta function.