1

12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series

Math 241 - Rimmer
( )
2 2 2 2
0
parametric Bessel equation of order
x y xy x y

+ + =
( )
( ) ( )
1 2
has general solution on 0, of
y c J x c Y x

= +
very important in the study of boundary-
value problems involving partial
differential equations expressed in
cylindrical coordinates
( ) is called a of order . J x

Bessel function of the first kind

( )
( )
( )
2
0
1
! 1 2
n
n
n
x
J x
n n

| |
=
|
+ +
\

( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
For non-integer values of
cos
sin
J x J x
Y x

=
( ) is called a of order . Y x

Bessel function of the second kind

( ) ( )
For integer values (say )
lim
n
n
n
Y x Y x

=
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
( ) : of order .
n
J x n Bessel function of the first kind
Let 0,1, 2, n n = =
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/BesselFunctionoftheFirstKind.html
2
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/BesselFunctionoftheSecondKind.html
( ) : of order .
n
Y x n Bessel function of the second kind
Let 0,1, 2, n n = =
( )
2 2 2 2
The parametric Bessel differential equation becomes
0 x y xy x n y + + =
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
Let 0,1, 2, n n = =
( )
( ) ( )
1 2
with general solution on 0, of
n n
y c J x c Y x

= +
[ ]
2
2
The self-adjoint form of the differential equation i :
0
s
d n
xy x y
dx x

| |
+ =
|
\
( ) ( )
( )
2
2
we can identify
, and
,

,
n
r x x q x
x
p x x
= =
= =
This is called a singular Sturm-Liouville problem
when we add the following conditions:
( )
( ) ( )
2 2
0 and instead of 2 boundary
conditions we only have
0
r a
A y b B y b
=
+ =
For orthogonality, we need the
solutions to be bounded at . x a =
( )
( ) ( )
2 2
and we will only need
0
0 0
A y b
r
B y b
=
+ =
( )
( )
but 0 is unbounded
for all , so for orthogonality
we can only use
n
n
Y
n
J x
3
[ ]
2
2
The self-adjoint form of the differential equation i :
0
s
d n
xy x y
dx x

| |
+ =
|
\
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
( ) ( )
( )
2
2
we can identify
, and
,

,
n
r x x q x
x
p x x
= =
= =
( )
( )
1
with general solution
on 0, of
n
y c J x

=
( ) ( ) ( ) { } ( )
( ) [ ]
2
1 2
this gives a set of orthogonal functions
, , , 1, 2,
that are orthogonal with respect to the weight function
on the interval 0,
n n n i i i
J x J x J x i
p x x b
= =
=

( ) ( )
0
0,
b
n i n j i j
xJ x J x dx =

( ) ( )
2 2
but this is all contingent upon the
being defined by a boundary condition
at of the type
0
i
n n
x b
A J b B J b

=
+ =
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
by the chain rule
n n n
d
J x J x x J x
dx
= =
so the condition becomes:
( ) ( )
2 2
0
n n
A J b B J b + =
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
( )
So now for 0,1, 2, , we have the Bessel functions of order
that will serve as our set of orthogonal functions used in the
eigenfunction expansion of :
n n
f x
=
( ) ( ) ( ) { }
( ) [ ]
2 1 2 2 2
Let 2 for instance
, , , is a set of orthogonal
that are orthogonal with respect to the weight function
on the interval 0,
i
n
J x J x J x
p x x b

=
=
eigenfunctions
( ) We are interested in taking a function and expanding
it using Fourier eigenfunction expansion.
f x
2
with corresponding 1, 2,
i i
i = = eigenvalues
( ) ( )
1
i n i
i
f x c J x

=
=

( ) ( ) { }
The expansion of with Bessel functions 1,2,
is called a .
n i
f x J x i =
Fourier Bessel series

( ) ( )
( )
0
2
where
b
n i
i
n i
xJ x f x dx
c
J x

4
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
In order to find the coefficients , we need 3 properties
of the Bessel function:
i
c
J
( ) ( )
1
2.
n n
n n
d
x J x x J x
dx

( =

( ) ( ) ( ) 1. 1
n
n n
J x J x =
( ) ( )
1
3.
n n
n n
d
x J x x J x
dx

+
( =

Three different versions of the boundary condition at
lead to three different types of solutions
x b =
( ) 1. 0
n
J b =
( ) ( ) 2. 0
n n
hJ b bJ b + =
( )
0
3. 0 J b =
( )
2
we'll have 3 different results for
n i
J x
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
( ) ( )
1
i n i
i
f x c J x

=
=

( )
( ) ( )
2
2
0
1
2
b
i n i
n i
c xJ x f x dx
b J b

+
=
(


( )
when the defined by
the boundary condition 0
n
i
J b

=
( )
( )
2
2
:
#8 , 0 1
0
f x x x
J
= < <
=
example
( )
( )
( )
1
3
2 2
0
3
2
1, 2,
2
i i
i
c x J x
n
dx
J
b f x x

=
(

= = =

5
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
( ) ( )
1
i n i
i
f x c J x

=
=

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
2
2
2 2 2 2
0
2
b
i
i n i
i n i
c xJ x f x dx
b n h J b

=
+ (


( ) ( )
when the defined by
the boundary condition
0
i
n n
hJ b bJ b

+ =
( )
( ) ( )
0 0
#6 1, 0 2
:
2 2 0
f x x
J J
= < <
+ =
example
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
( ) ( )
1 0
2
i i
i
f x c c J x

=
= +

( )
( ) ( )
0 2
2
0
0
2
b
i i
i
c xJ x f x dx
b J b

=
(


( )
0
when the defined by
the boundary condition 0
i
J b

=
( )
1
2
0
2
b
c xf x dx
b
=

( )
( )
0
#4 1,
:
0 2
2 0
f x x
J
= < <
=
example
6
12.6 The Fourier-Bessel Series
Math 241 - Rimmer
( )
( )
2
2
:
#8 , 0 1
0
f x x x
J
= < <
=
example
( )
( )
1
3
2 2
0
3
2
i i
i
c x J x dx
J

=
(



i
let t x =
1
i
i
dt dx dx dt

= =
3
3
3
i i
t t
x x

= =
( )
( )
3
2 2 3
0
3
2
i
i
i i
i
t dt
c J t
J

=
(


( )
( )
3
2 2
4
0
3
2
i
i
i i
c t J t dt
J

=
(


( ) ( )
1
n n
n n
d
x J x x J x
dx

( =

( ) ( )
3 3
3 2
d
t J t t J t
dt
( =

( )
( )
3
3 2
4
0
3
2
i
i
i i
d
c t J t dt
dt
J

( =

(


0 0
1
i
x t
x t
= =
= =
( )
( )
3
3 2
0 4
3
2 i
i
i i
c t J t
J


( =

(

( )
( )
3
3
2
4
3
2
i i
i i
J
J


(

=
(

( )
3
2
i
i i
c
J
=
( )
( )
( )
3
1
2
1
2
i i
i J
i
f x J x

=
=