Lamé function

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In mathematics, a Lamé function, or ellipsoidal harmonic function, is a solution
of Lamé's equation, a second-order ordinary differential equation. It was introduced
in the paper (Gabriel Lamé 1837). Lamé's equation appears in the method
of separation of variables applied to the Laplace equation in elliptic coordinates. In
some special cases solutions can be expressed in terms of polynomials called Lamé
polynomials.

Contents

 1The Lamé equation

 2Asymptotic expansions
 3Notes
 4References

The Lamé equation[edit]

Lamé's equation is
where A and B are constants, and  is the Weierstrass elliptic function. The most
important case is when , where  is the elliptic sine function, and  for an
integer n and  the elliptic modulus, in which case the solutions extend to
meromorphic functions defined on the whole complex plane. For other values
of B the solutions have branch points.
By changing the independent variable to  with , Lamé's equation can also be
rewritten in algebraic form as
which after a change of variable becomes a special case of Heun's equation.
A more general form of Lamé's equation is the ellipsoidal
equation or ellipsoidal wave equation which can be written (observe we now
write , not  as above)
where  is the elliptic modulus of the Jacobian elliptic functions
and  and  are constants. For  the equation becomes the Lamé equation
with . For  the equation reduces to the Mathieu equation
The Weierstrassian form of Lamé's equation is quite unsuitable for
calculation (as Arscott also remarks, p. 191). The most suitable form of
the equation is that in Jacobian form, as above. The algebraic and
trigonometric forms are also cumbersome to use. Lamé equations
arise in quantum mechanics as equations of small fluctuations about
classical solutions—called periodic instantons, bounces or bubbles—of
Schrödinger equations for various periodic and anharmonic potentials.
[1][2]

Asymptotic expansions[edit]
Asymptotic expansions of periodic ellipsoidal wave functions, and
therewith also of Lamé functions, for large values of  have been
obtained by Müller.[3][4][5] The asymptotic expansion obtained by him for
the eigenvalues  is, with  approximately an odd integer (and to be
determined more precisely by boundary conditions – see below),
(another (fifth) term not given here has been calculated by Müller,
the first three terms have also been obtained by Ince [6]). Observe
terms are alternately even and odd in  and  (as in the
corresponding calculations for Mathieu functions, and oblate
spheroidal wave functions and prolate spheroidal wave functions).
With the following boundary conditions (in which  is the quarter
period given by a complete elliptic integral)
as well as (the prime meaning derivative)
defining respectively the ellipsoidal wave functions
of periods  and for  one obtains
Here the upper sign refers to the solutions  and the
lower to the solutions . Finally expanding  about  one
obtains
In the limit of the Mathieu equation (to which the
Lamé equation can be reduced) these
expressions reduce to the corresponding
expressions of the Mathieu case (as shown by
Müller).

Notes[edit]
1. ^ H. J. W. Müller-Kirsten, Introduction to
Quantum Mechanics: Schrödinger Equation
and Path Integral, 2nd ed. World Scientific,
2012, ISBN 978-981-4397-73-5
2. ^ Liang, Jiu-Qing; Müller-Kirsten, H.J.W.;
Tchrakian, D.H. (1992). "Solitons, bounces
and sphalerons on a circle".  Physics Letters
B. Elsevier BV.  282  (1–2): 105–
110. doi:10.1016/0370-2693(92)90486-n.  I
SSN  0370-2693.
3. ^ W. Müller, Harald J. (1966). "Asymptotic
Expansions of Ellipsoidal Wave Functions
and their Characteristic
Numbers".  Mathematische Nachrichten  (in
German). Wiley.  31  (1–2): 89–
101. doi:10.1002/mana.19660310108.  ISS
N  0025-584X.
4. ^ Müller, Harald J. W. (1966). "Asymptotic
Expansions of Ellipsoidal Wave Functions in
Terms of Hermite
Functions". Mathematische Nachrichten (in
German). Wiley.  32  (1–2): 49–
62. doi:10.1002/mana.19660320106.  ISSN 
0025-584X.
5. ^ Müller, Harald J. W. (1966). "On
Asymptotic Expansions of Ellipsoidal Wave
 Functions". Mathematische Nachrichten (in
German). Wiley.  32  (3–4): 157–
172. doi:10.1002/mana.19660320305.  ISS
N  0025-584X.
6. ^ Ince, E. L. (1940). "VII—Further
Investigations into the Periodic Lamé
Functions". Proceedings of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh. Cambridge University
Press (CUP).  60  (1): 83–
99. doi:10.1017/s0370164600020071. ISS
N  0370-1646.