THE STELLAR LUMINOSITY FUNCTION IN THE BULGE OF M31

We have derived the luminosity function for stars in the buldge of M31 in a region approximately 7.2' (1.44 kpc) from its nucleus. It has an upper limit approximately 0.5 mag brighter than the steep cutoff observed in the Galactic bulge luminosity function. The shape of our M31 luminosity function, that of Rich and Mould for a region 4.1' from the nucleus, and the differences between them are all consistent with a model based on a Galactic bulge luminosity function modified by the addition of disk stars located behind M31's bulge. Kent's disk/bulge deconvolution of M31 is used to fix independently the relative amounts of disk contamination at different radii. There is no compelling reason to invoke a stellar population for the bulge of M31 that differs from that of the bulge of our own Galaxy.