  A function of several variables is called holonomic if, roughly speaking, it
is determined from finitely many of its values via finitely many linear
recursion relations with polynomial coefficients. Zeilberger was the first to
notice that the abstract notion of holonomicity can be applied to verify, in a
systematic and computerized way, combinatorial identities among special
functions. Using a general state sum definition of the colored Jones function
of a link in 3-space, we prove from first principles that the colored Jones
function is a multisum of a q-proper-hypergeometric function, and thus it is
q-holonomic. We demonstrate our results by computer calculations.
