Find a power series solution about x=0 of the equation
xy′′+(1−x)y′+λy=0,
with y(0)=1, and show that y is a polynomial if and only if λ is a non-negative integer n. Let yn be the solution for λ=n. Establish an orthogonality relation between ym and yn(m=n).
Show that ymyn is a polynomial of degree m+n, and hence that
ymyn=p=0∑m+napyp
for appropriate choices of the coefficients ap and with am+n=0.
For given n>0, show that the functions
{ym,ymyn:m=0,1,2,…,n−1}
are linearly independent.
Let f(x) be a polynomial of degree 3. Explain why the expansion
f(x)=a0y0(x)+a1y1(x)+a2y2(x)+a3y1(x)y2(x)
holds for appropriate choices of ap,p=0,1,2,3. Hence show that
∫0∞e−xf(x)dx=w1f(α1)+w2f(α2)
where
w1=y1(α2)−y1(α1)y1(α2),w2=y1(α2)−y1(α1)−y1(α1),
and α1,α2 are the zeros of y2. You need not construct the polynomials y1(x),y2(x) explicitly.