148 Chapter 2
(c) The Laguerre equation from quantum mechanics
x
d
2
dx
2
y(x)
+(1 −x)
d
dx
y(x)
+λy(x)= 0
(d) The Hermite equation from quantum mechanics
d
2
dx
2
y(x) −2 x
d
dx
y(x)
+2 λy(x)= 0
(e) The Tchebycheff equation
(1 −x
2
)
d
2
dx
2
y(x)
−x
d
dx
y(x)
+λy(x)= 0
(f) The Bessel differential equation of order m
x
2
d
2
dx
2
y(x)
+x
d
dx
y(x)
−m
2
y(x) +λ
2
x
2
y(x) = 0
In the following problems, you will be asked to generate a set of eigenfunctions for a
Sturm-Liouville problem over an interval I with a particular set of boundary conditions.
You are also asked to develop a generalized Fourier series expansion for three functions
over the interval. The first, f 1(x), should not satisfy any of the boundary conditions.
The second, f 2(x), should satisfy one of the boundary conditions (left or right). The
third, f 3(x), should satisfy both boundary conditions (left and right). Pay particular
attention to the quality of the convergence of each of the series depending on the
boundary condition behavior of the particular function f(x) over that interval.
For problems 2.2 through 2.21, you are asked to do the following:
(a) Evaluate the eigenvalues and corresponding eigenfunctions.
(b) Normalize the eigenfunctions with the respective weight function.
(c) Write out the statement of orthonormality.
(d) Write out the generalized Fourier series expansion for function f(x).
(e) Write out the integral for the Fourier coefficients F(n).
2.2. Consider the Sturm-Liouville problem with the Euler operator over the interval
I ={x |0 <x<1}.
d
2
dx
2
ϕ(x) +λϕ(x)= 0
with boundary conditions
ϕ(0) = 0,ϕ(1) = 0