PHYS 404

2 FINAL Exam
nd

Saturday 26th November 2015

Instructor: Dr. V. Lempesis

Student Name: ……………………………………………….

Student ID Number……………………………..

Student Grade: ….…/40

Please answer only 4 of the following questions

1. Show that the Legendre polynomials satisfy the relation: Pn 1 = 1 . Hint: ()

Use the relation for the generating function of the Legendre polynomials:
∞ ∞
1 1
= ∑ Pn x t n . You will also need the relation:
() = ∑t n .
1− 2xt + t 2 n=0 1− t n=0

(10 marks)

Solution:
∞ ∞
1 1
= ∑ Pn x t n ⇒
() = ∑ Pn 1 t n ⇒
()
x=1
1− 2xt + t 2 n=0 1− 2t + t 2 n=0
∞ ∞
1 1
= ∑ Pn 1 t n ⇒
() = ∑ Pn 1 t n () (1)
2 1− t n=0
( )
1− t n=0

But

∞
1
= ∑t n
1− t n=0 (2)

From (1) and (2) we see that:

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

∑ t n = ∑ Pn 1 t n ⇒ ∑ t n − ∑ Pn 1 t n = 0 ⇒
() ()
n=0 n=0 n=0 n=0
∞

∑(1− P (1)) t
n
n
( ( ))
= 0 ⇒ 1− Pn 1 = 0 ⇒ Pn 1 = 1 ()
n=0
 d⎡ n
2. Show that: ⎣ x J n (x)⎤⎦ = x n J n−1 (x) .
dx

Hint: You are given that,

2n
J n−1 (x) + J n+1 (x) = J (x) , J n−1 (x) − J n+1 (x) = 2J n' (x)
x n

(10 marks)

Solution:

2n ⎫
J n−1 (x) + J n+1 (x) = J (x) ⎪ 2n
x n ⎬ ⇒ J n−1 (x) + J n+1 (x) + J n−1 (x) − J n+1 (x) = J n (x) + 2J n' (x) ⇒
⎪ + x
J n−1 (x) − J n+1 (x) = 2J n' (x) ⎭
2n n
2J n−1 (x) = J n (x) + 2J n' (x) ⇒ J n−1 (x) = J n (x) + J n' (x) ⇒
x x
n
x n J n−1 (x) = x n J n (x) + x n J n' (x) ⇒ x n J n−1 (x) = nx n−1 J n (x) + x n J n' (x) ⇒
x
' d
( )
x n J n−1 (x) = x n J n (x) + x n J n' (x) ⇒ x n J n−1 (x) = ⎡⎣ x n J n (x)⎤⎦
dx

∞
1 +∞
− x2
3. a) If f (x) = ∑ An H n (x) show that An = ∫e f (x)H n (x) dx . You
n
n=0 2 n! π −∞
+∞ ⎧⎪ 0 m≠n
− x2
are given that: ∫e H m (x)H n (x) dx = ⎨
n
−∞ ⎩⎪ 2 n! π m=n

(5 marks)

Solution:
a)
∞ ∞
2 2
f (x) = ∑ An H n (x) ⇒ f (x)H m (x)e − x /2
= ∑ An H n (x)H m (x)e − x /2
⇒
n=0 n=0
x=∞ ∞ x=∞
2 2

∫ f (x)H m (x)e − x /2 dx = ∑ An ∫ H n (x)H m (x)e − x /2 dx ⇒

x=−∞ n=0 x=−∞
x=∞ x=∞
2 2
∫ f (x)H n (x)e − x /2 dx = An ∫ ⎡ H (x)⎤ e − x 2 /2 dx ⇒
m=n
⎣ n ⎦
x=−∞ x=−∞
x=∞
2

∫ f (x)H n (x)e − x /2 dx = An π 2n n! ⇒
m=n
x=−∞
x=∞
1 2
An = ∫ f (x)H n (x)e − x /2 dx
n
π 2 n! x=−∞
 2
b) Use the relation H n' (x) = 2nH n−1 x to find the integral () ∫ H (x) dx
2
if you
0

are given that H 3 = 8x 3 −12x .

(5 marks)
Solution:

d
H n' (x) = 2nH n−1 x ⇒ () ()
H 3 x = 6H 2 x ⇒ ()
n=3 dx

1 d
H2 x = () H x
6 dx 3
()
2 2 2
1 d 1 1 2
∫ H 2 (x) dx =
6
∫ dx
()
H 3 x dx =
6
()
∫ dH 3 x = 6 H 3 x () 0
0 0 0

1 2
1 1 40 20
=
6
(
8x 3 −12x ) 0
=
6
( 6
)
8⋅ 23 −12 ⋅ 2 = 64 − 24 =
6
=(3
)
4. a) Find the associated Laguerre polynomial L11 (x) . You are given that
k
k
⎛d ⎞ k 1
( )
L (x) = −1 ⎜ ⎟ Ln+k (x) and that L2 = x 2 − 4x + 2 .
n
⎝ dx ⎠ 2
( )
(5 marks)

Solution:

k 1
⎛d ⎞ k 1⎛ d ⎞
L (x) = −1 ⎜ ⎟ Ln+k (x) ⇒ L11 (x) = −1 ⎜ ⎟ L2 (x) ⇒
k
n ( ) ( )
⎝ dx ⎠ n=1,k=1
⎝ dx ⎠
d d ⎡1 ⎤
L11 (x) = − L2 (x) ⇒ L11 (x) = − ⎢ x 2 − 4x + 2 ⎥ ⇒
dx dx ⎣ 2 ⎦
( )
1
L11 (x) = − (2x − 4 = 2 − x )
2

b) Show that the associated Laguerre polynomial L11 (x) , satisfies the
differential equation:

xLkn'' x + k +1− x Lkn' x + nLkn x = 0 .

() ( ) () ()
(5 marks)

Solution:
 xLkn'' x + k +1− x Lkn' x + nLkn x
() ( ) () () =
n=1,k=1

xL1''1 1'
( x) + (2 − x) L ( x) + L ( x) =
1
1
1

d2 1 d 1
x 2 L1 x + 2 − x() ( L1 x + L11 x = ) () ()
dx dx
2
d d 1
x 2 L11 x + 2 − x
() ( L1 x + L11 x = ) () ()
dx dx
d2 d
(
x 2 2− x + 2− x
dx dx
) ( ) (
2− x + 2− x = ) ( )
(
0− 2− x + 2− x = 0 ) ( )

5. a) Find the associated Legendre functions P21 (x) and P31 (x) starting from
the Legendre polynomials P2 (x) and P3 (x) .
(5 marks)
Solution:
dm m/2 1/2 d
(
Pnm (x) = 1− x 2
dx
)
P (x) ⇒ P21 (x) = 1− x 2
m n n=2,m=1
P (x) ⇒
dx 2
( )
1/2 d 1 1 1/2
(
P21 (x) = 1− x 2
dx 2
) (
3x 2 −1 ⇒ P21 (x) = 1− x 2 6x ⇒
2
) ( )
1/2
P21 (x) = 3x 1− x 2 ( )
dm m/2 1/2 d
(
Pnm (x) = 1− x 2
dx m
Pn
(x)) ⇒ P
n=3,m=1 3
1
(x) = 1− x 2

dx 3
P (x) ⇒ ( )
1/2 d 1 1 1/2
(
P31 (x) = 1− x 2
dx 2
) (
5x 3 − 3x ⇒ P31 (x) = 1− x 2
2
) 15x 2 − 3 ( ) ( )
b) Show that the functions P21 (x) and P31 (x) are orthogonal i.e.
1
1 1
∫ P (x)P (x)dx = 0 .
2 3
−1
(5 marks)
Solution:

1
31 1/2 1/2
∫ P (x)P (x) dx = 2 ∫ x (1− x ) (1− x ) (15x
2
1
3
1 2 2 2
− 3 dx =)
−1 −1

31 31
∫
2 −1
x 1− x(2
15x 2
− 3 dx =)(
2 −1
)
∫ x − x 3 15x 2 − 3 dx = ( )( )
31
∫ (−15x5 +18x 3 − 3x) dx =0
2 −1
m/2 dm
You are given that: Pnm (x) = 1− x 2 ( ) dx m
Pn (x)
 1 1
P2 (x) =
2
( )
3x 2 −1 and P3 (x) =
2
(5x 3 − 3x )