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Gene Ward Smith
science forum Guru

Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Posts: 409

Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 7:50 am    Post subject: Re: Thoughts on Bessel functions

Richard Mathar wrote:

 Quote: The B_n(z^2/4) is usually written (see 9.6.47 in the Handbook of Mathematical Functions, edited by Abramowitz and Stegun) as 0F1(n+1,z^2/4), so it is too close to a special case of hypergeometric and confluent hypergeometric functions to spend a new name on it.

I found by consulting Watson that A. George Greenhill called it the
Bessel-Clifford function, however.

 Quote: The use of Bessel functions is first of all tied to the fact that they appear as solutions to many differential equations in engineering and physics; so everybody would rather use the "old" Bessel function notation instead of any "new" B-Function notation if the solution to such a real-world problem is needed as a paper-saving argument.

Greenhill also pointed out that sometimes the "new" Bessel functions
(which are actually older than Bessel, as Lagrange used them) sometimes
work better in some engineering situations.

Also: simplicity of the differential
 Quote: equation is not a unique argument: if we use diffraction theory of circular pupils in optics, we need the Fourier transforms of Chebyshev polynomials and immediately face the integral representations of the Bessel functions, so simplicity of integral representations is also a nice feature.

Once again, sometimes these become simpler, and sometimes they are not.

 Quote: Also: what would be the linearly independent counterpart of B_n? This must be of equivalent simplicity to convince us to switch so we can patch solutions to the DE across boundaries

Here's an integral representation for it:

x^(-n/2) K_n(2 sqrt(x)) = (1/2) int_0^infinity exp(-t-x/t) dt/t^(n+1)

defined for Re(x) > 0.

This not only defines the other solution, x^(-n/2)K_n(2 sqrt(x)), it
provides an example of when the integral representation is simpler in
the "new" form.

If we don't normalize the hypergeometric way, but instead use
x^(-n/2)I_n(2 sqrt(x)), we get another very nice feature, by the way: a
function with which is holomorphic on C^2; in other words, in both
variables n and x.
Richard Mathar
science forum beginner

Joined: 23 May 2005
Posts: 45

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 6:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Thoughts on Bessel functions

genewardsmith@gmail.com writes:
 Quote: Consider the homogenous differential equation x y'' + (n+1) y' = y where n is a fixed complex number. If n is not a negative integer, we can develop one solution in series as B_n(x) = \sum_i=0^infinity 1/(n+1)^(i) x^i/i! = \sum_i=0^infinity x^i/(C(n+i,n) i!^2) Here a^(b) = Gamma(a+b)/Gamma(a) is the Pochhammer symbol, and C(a,b) the extended binomial coefficient function. The Bessel functions and modified Bessel functions of the first kind can both be expressed in terms of B_n. We have B_n(x) = n! I_n(2 sqrt(x))/x^(n/2) so that I_n(z) = 1/n! (z/2)^n B_n(z^2/4) Similarly, we have J_n(z) = 1/n! (z/2)^n B_n(-z^2/4) Outside of n equaling a negative integer, this function B is better behaved than the Bessel functions, since it is entire. It has a simpler differential equation. It expresses both the J and I functions in terms of a single function without requiring imaginary arguments. Arguably, it seems to me, it is a better way to start out the theory of Bessel functions. What I'm wondering is if anyone has actually done this, and if B_n has a name. Also, can anyone see why this approach isn't used, if in fact it is not?

The B_n(z^2/4) is usually written (see 9.6.47 in the Handbook of
Mathematical Functions, edited by Abramowitz and Stegun) as 0F1(n+1,z^2/4),
so it is too close to a special case of hypergeometric and confluent
hypergeometric functions to spend a new name on it.

The use of Bessel functions is first of all tied to the fact that they
appear as solutions to many differential equations in engineering and physics;
so everybody would rather use the "old" Bessel function notation instead
of any "new" B-Function notation if the solution to such a real-world problem
is needed as a paper-saving argument. Also: simplicity of the differential
equation is not a unique argument: if we use diffraction theory of circular
pupils in optics, we need the Fourier transforms of Chebyshev polynomials and
immediately face the integral representations of the Bessel functions, so
simplicity of integral representations is also a nice feature.

Also: what would be the linearly independent counterpart of B_n? This must
be of equivalent simplicity to convince us to switch so we can patch
solutions to the DE across boundaries
Gene Ward Smith
science forum Guru

Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Posts: 409

 Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:19 am    Post subject: Thoughts on Bessel functions Consider the homogenous differential equation x y'' + (n+1) y' = y where n is a fixed complex number. If n is not a negative integer, we can develop one solution in series as B_n(x) = \sum_i=0^infinity 1/(n+1)^(i) x^i/i! = \sum_i=0^infinity x^i/(C(n+i,n) i!^2) Here a^(b) = Gamma(a+b)/Gamma(a) is the Pochhammer symbol, and C(a,b) the extended binomial coefficient function. The Bessel functions and modified Bessel functions of the first kind can both be expressed in terms of B_n. We have B_n(x) = n! I_n(2 sqrt(x))/x^(n/2) so that I_n(z) = 1/n! (z/2)^n B_n(z^2/4) Similarly, we have J_n(z) = 1/n! (z/2)^n B_n(-z^2/4) Outside of n equaling a negative integer, this function B is better behaved than the Bessel functions, since it is entire. It has a simpler differential equation. It expresses both the J and I functions in terms of a single function without requiring imaginary arguments. Arguably, it seems to me, it is a better way to start out the theory of Bessel functions. What I'm wondering is if anyone has actually done this, and if B_n has a name. Also, can anyone see why this approach isn't used, if in fact it is not?

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