PHYS 404

st
1 Midterm Exam-Spring 2019
Sunday 27th of October 2019

Instructor: Dr. V. Lempesis

Student Grade: ….…/15

Please answer all questions
∞
1. If f (x) = ∑ Ak Pk (x) , then prove Parseval’s identity:
k=0

1 ∞
2Ak2
∫ f 2 (x) dx = ∑
−1 k=0 2k +1

You are given that:

1
2 2
∫P k
(x) dx =
2k +1
−1

(5 marks)

Solution:
! !

𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐴! 𝑃! (𝑥) , 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐴! 𝑃! (𝑥)
!!! !!!

! !

𝑓! 𝑥 = 𝐴! 𝐴! 𝑃! (𝑥)𝑃! (𝑥)
!!! !!!

! ! ! !
!
𝑓 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 𝐴! 𝐴! 𝑃! (𝑥)𝑃! (𝑥)𝑑𝑥
!! !!! !!! !!

! ! !
!
𝑓 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 𝐴!! 𝑃!! (𝑥)𝑑𝑥
!! !!! !!

! !
!
2𝐴!!
𝑓 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 =
!! (2𝑘 + 1)
!!!

2. (a) Use the Rodrigues formula and find the Legendre polynomial 𝑃! 𝑥 .

(2 marks)

(b) Find the Legendre functions 𝑃!! 𝑥 .

(2 marks)
(c) Calculate the spherical harmonic Y 2
−2
(θ , φ ) (1 mark).
 (1 mark)
You are given that:

! ! ! m/2 dm
𝑃! 𝑥 = !! !! !"
𝑥! − 1 !, Pnm (x) = 1− x 2 ( ) Pn (x) m > 0
dx m
m ( l − m)! P m
( )
Pl −m (x) = −1
(l + m)! l
(x) m>0

Yl m θ , φ = −1
m (2l +1) (l − m)! P cosθ e m imφ
( ) ( ) 4π ( l + m ) !
( ) l
, for any m

Solution:

a)
!
1 𝑑
𝑃! 𝑥 = ! 𝑥! − 1 !
2 𝑛! 𝑑𝑥
!
1 𝑑
𝑃! 𝑥 = ! 𝑥! − 1 !
2 2! 𝑑𝑥

1 𝑑
𝑃! 𝑥 = 4𝑥 𝑥 ! − 1
8 𝑑𝑥
1 𝑑
𝑃! 𝑥 = 4𝑥 ! − 4𝑥
8 𝑑𝑥
1
𝑃! 𝑥 = 12𝑥 ! − 4
8

1
𝑃! 𝑥 = 3𝑥 ! − 1
2

b)
m/2 dm
(
Pnm (x) = 1− x 2 ) dx m
Pn (x) m > 0

𝑑! 1
𝑃!! 𝑥 = 1−𝑥 ! !/!
3𝑥 ! − 1
𝑑𝑥 ! 2
1 𝑑
𝑃!! 𝑥 = 1 − 𝑥! 6𝑥
2 𝑑𝑥

𝑃!! 𝑥 = 3 1 − 𝑥 ! = 3𝑠𝑖𝑛! 𝜃
c)

Yl m θ , φ = −1
m (2l +1) (l − m)! P cosθ e m imφ
( ) ( ) 4π ( l + m ) !
( )l
, for any m

2∙2+1 2 − −2 ! !!
𝑌!!! 𝜃, 𝜙 = −1 !!
𝑃! (𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃)𝑒 !!!!
4𝜋 2−2 !

30 !!
𝑌!!! 𝜃, 𝜙 = 𝑃! (𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃)𝑒 !!!!
𝜋

But
m ( l − m)! P m
( )
Pl −m (x) = −1
(l + m)! l
(x) m>0

Thus

2−2 ! 3
𝑃!!! 𝑥 = −1 !!
3 1 − 𝑥! = 1 − 𝑥!
2+2 ! 4!

1 1
𝑃!!! 𝑥 = 1 − 𝑥 ! = 𝑠𝑖𝑛! 𝜃
8 8

So
30 1 30 15
𝑌!!! 𝜃, 𝜙 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛! 𝜃 𝑒 !!!! = 𝑠𝑖𝑛! 𝜃𝑒 !!!" = 𝑠𝑖𝑛! 𝜃𝑒 !!!"
𝜋 8 64𝜋 32𝜋

3. We know that:

' '
Pn+1 (x) − Pn−1 (
(x) = 2n +1 Pn (x) . )
!
Calculate the general expression for the integral 𝑃
! !
𝑥 𝑑𝑥

(5 marks)
 You are given that:

P2n (0) =
(−1) (2n)! and P (0) = 0 , Pn (1) = 1
2 2n+1
2n
2 ( n!)
Solution:

1 ⎡ '
'
Pn+1 '
(x) − Pn−1 ( )
(x) = 2n +1 Pn (x) ⇒ Pn (x) = ⎣
'
Pn+1 (x) − Pn−1 (x)⎤⎦
( 2n +1 )
! !
1 ! !
𝑃! 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑃!!! 𝑥 − 𝑃!!! 𝑥 𝑑𝑥
! 2𝑛 + 1 !

!
1 ! !
𝑃! 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑃!!! 𝑥 − 𝑃!!! 𝑥
! 2𝑛 + 1 ! !

!
1
𝑃! 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑃 1 − 𝑃!!! 0 − 𝑃!!! 1 + 𝑃!!! 0
! 2𝑛 + 1 !!!

!
1
𝑃! 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = −𝑃!!! 0 + 𝑃!!! 0
! 2𝑛 + 1

If n is even then n+1, n-1 are odd. In this case the integral is zero.