Frobenius method examples, page 1 of 3

Examples on Frobenius method

Example 1.
B C #B #B C B #B # C !
# ww # w #
a b a b
Solution.
At , the equation has a regular singular point: B !
C # C " C !
ww w # # #
B B B

#
By the recipe,
C + B
!
8!
_
8
8<
C 8 < + B
w 8<"
8!
_
8
!
a b
C 8 < 8 < " + B
ww 8<#
8!
_
8
!
a ba b
Into the equation, aligning the powers:
B C 8 < 8 < " + B
# ww 8<
8!
_
8
!
a ba b
#BC # 8 < + B
w 8<
8!
_
8
!
a b
#B C # 8 " < + B
# w 8<
8"
_
8"
!
a b
B C + B
# 8<
8#
_
8#
!
#BC #+ B
!
8"
_
8"
8<
#C #+ B
!
8!
_
8
8<
Sum up (infinite sum from , separate terms for ) 8 # 8 ! 8 "
!
c d a b a b a ba b a b a b
8#
_
8 8" 8
8<
8 < 8 < " # 8 < # + # 8 " < # + + B
+c d c d a b a b a b < < " + #<+ #+ B " < <+ # " < + #<+ #+ #+ B
! ! ! " " ! ! "
< <"
!
Collect the terms:
!
c d a ba b a b a b
8#
_
8 8" 8#
8<
8 < " 8 < # + % # 8 < + + B
< " < # + B < " <+ # #< + B ! a ba b a b a b a b
! " !
< <"
Taking , guaranteed to give a series solution, we get < #
+ +
" !
and the recursion is
+
8
#8+ +
8 8"
8" 8#
a b
It is a homogeneous problem, so we are free to choose . + "
!
Anticipating division by factorials, we might change the variable to
+
8
,
8" x
8
a b
Frobenius method examples, page 2 of 3
so that the recursion becomes, after simplification,
, " , #
! "
, #, ,
8 8" 8
The solution of the recursion is easy to find: 1, so , 8
8
+
8
8" "
8" x 8x a b
and the solution of the ODE is
C B B /
"
8!
_
B
8x
# B
a b
!
8#
Second solution:
where C C .B [ # .B B /
# "
[ #
C B
# #B
' '
"
#
exp

C B / .B B / .B B/
#
# B # B B B / "
B / B
'
# #B
% #B #
'
The general solution is then
C - B / - B/
" #
# B B
______________________________________________________________
Example 2.
This time a formula for the solution was not found by computer algebra software,
so I will settle for a more modest task:
Find the first three terms of the Frobenius solution around for B !
BC / C !
ww B
Solution.
For easier handling of the series, write
B C B/ C !
# ww B
Again,
C + B
!
8!
_
8
8<
C
w
!
a b
8!
_
8
8<"
8 < + B
C
ww
!
a ba b
8!
_
8
8<#
8 < 8 < " + B
B C 8 < 8 < " + B
# ww 8<
8!
_
8
!
a ba b
and we take only the first three terms:
B C < < " + B < " <+ B < # < " + B
# ww < <" <#
! " #
a b a b a ba b
B/ C B + B + B + B
B < <" <# B B
"x #x
! " #
a b
# $
+ B + + B + + + B
! " ! # " !
<" <# <$ " " "
"x "x #x

total:
! < < " + B < " <+ + B < # < " + + + B a b a b a b a b a ba b
! " ! # " !
< <" <#
Since actually we can take the larger of the integer values of is + ! + " < < "
! !
Frobenius method examples, page 3 of 3
The equations simplify to
+ "
!
#+ + !
" !
'+ + + !
# " !
with solution
+ " + +
! " #
" "
# "#
and the series starts with
C B B B
" "
# "#
# $
Remark. The computer returned some more coefficients:
+ + +
$ % &
" #$ "*(
"%% #))! )'%!!
and a pattern is not clear.
Second solution?
By the formula, C C .B
# "
[
C
'
"
#
and since the coefficient at in the differential equation is 0, we can take C
w
[ !.B " exp
'
C C .B
# "
"
B " B B
'
# # " "
# "#
#

B " B B B .B

" " " " "" $
# "# B B "# %
#
'
#
B " B B B B B

" " " "" $
# "# B "# )
# #
ln
C B " B B
"
"
#
#
ln

The other solution does have a logarithmic term.