Summing the geometric series givesThere is a particularly short verification using the product rule:Also $y(0)=1$ and $y^{\prime }(0)=0$. The radius of convergence of the series is one, set by the three complex cube roots of unity; the closed expression continues the solution beyond that disk wherever its denominator is nonzero. The real initial-value solution extends on the interval $(-\infty ,1)$.

Set $y={\sum }_{j\ge 0}{a}_j{x}^j$ and equate coefficients in the power series. The constant coefficient gives $a_2=0$. For $m\ge 1$, the coefficient of $x^m$ givesThe square bracket is $(m+1)(m+2)$, so the recurrence relation is $a_{j+3}=a_j$ for $j\ge 0$. The initial conditions give $a_0=1$, $a_1=0$, $a_2=0$. Hence

Use the Wirtinger derivatives ${\partial }_z=({\partial }_x-i{\partial }_y)/2$ and ${\partial }_{\bar{z}}=({\partial }_x+i{\partial }_y)/2$, for which $\Delta =4{\partial }_z{\partial }_{\bar{z}}$. Since $H$ and $G$ are holomorphic,The Laplacian has real coefficients, so taking real and imaginary parts provesThis is the complex analytic representation of biharmonic functions; $F$ itself is generally not holomorphic because of its $\bar{z}$ factor.

On the specified ellipse, the semiaxes are $\sqrt{2}$ and $1$, so its elliptic coordinate is $u_0=\mathrm{arcosh}\sqrt{2}=\log (\sqrt{2}+1)$. Thus in the exterior,is a harmonic function with a homogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition on that ellipse. Choose the square root with $\sqrt{z^2-1}\sim z$ at infinity. Although a global complex logarithm requires a cut, its real part $\log |z+\sqrt{z^2-1}|$ is well defined throughout the exterior and gives the same $\varphi$.

Expanding at large $|z|$ yields $z+\sqrt{z^2-1}=2z[1-1/(4z^2)+O(|z{|}^{-4})]$. ThereforeIn particular the potential grows logarithmically in the distance, in every direction at infinity. It is the exterior solution; no harmonic continuation through the focal segment in the ellipse's interior is claimed.

Inverting $u+iv=\mathrm{arcosh}z$ gives $z=\cosh (u+iv)$, hence the elliptic coordinatesEliminating $v$ at fixed $u>0$ gives the ellipseIts focal distance is $\sqrt{{\cosh }^{2}u-{\sinh }^{2}u}=1$. At fixed $v$, eliminating $u$ instead gives the hyperbolaIts focal distance is also one, so both families have foci $(\pm 1,0)$. A fixed $v$ traces an appropriate half of the hyperbola; complementary coordinate values complete it. Degenerate values give the focal segment and portions of the coordinate axes. Away from these degeneracies the curves are orthogonal by part (i), or by ${\mathbf{r}}_u\cdot {\mathbf{r}}_v=0$ in the displayed parametrization. A branch of the inverse is used locally; its real part with $u\ge 0$ is single-valued outside the focal segment.

Differentiate the Cauchy-Riemann equations and use equality of mixed partial derivatives:Thus the real part is a harmonic function. The same calculation gives $\Delta v=0$. Every holomorphic function has the required smoothness.

For a holomorphic function, the Cauchy-Riemann equations are $u_x=v_y$ and $u_y=-v_x$. ConsequentlyA gradient is normal to its level set, so these identities give orthogonal level curves wherever the gradients are nonzero. At a critical point where $f^{\prime }=0$, both gradients vanish and a regular tangent to a level set need not exist; the geometric orthogonality statement is restricted to regular intersections.

Collect the paired orthonormal bases from part (iv), followed by an orthonormal basis of $\ker M^2=\ker M$. The matrix $Q$ of these columns is an orthogonal matrix, andIndeed, each pair obeys $M{e}_j={\mu }_j{f}_j$, $M{f}_j=-{\mu }_j{e}_j$, and all kernel vectors are annihilated. This proves the real block form of a skew-symmetric matrix directly, including repeated block parameters. In particular its rank is $2r$, always even.

Normalize $e_1$ and put $f_1=M{e}_1/{\mu }_1$. The two vectors are an orthonormal basis of a plane $E$ invariant under $M$, since $M{e}_1={\mu }_1{f}_1$ and $M{f}_1=-{\mu }_1{e}_1$. Its orthogonal complement is also invariant: for $w\perp E$ and $z\in E$,Apply the spectral theorem for real symmetric matrices to the restriction of $M^2$ to $E^{\perp }$. Any remaining negative eigenvalue supplies another orthonormal pair by the same construction. Induction leaves only the kernel. Thus every nonzero eigenvalue of $M^2$ has even multiplicity. The pairs can share an eigenvalue, so this does not assert distinctness of the different $-{\mu }_j^2$.

Choose $e_1$ real, as permitted by the spectral theorem for real symmetric matrices. Matrix powers commute, soThe proposed partner $e_2=M{e}_1$ is nonzero becauseAlso the real scalar $e_1^{T}M{e}_1$ equals its own transpose $e_1^T{M}^T{e}_1=-e_1^{T}M{e}_1$, so it vanishes. Therefore $e_1$ and $e_2$ are orthogonal eigenvectors with the same eigenvalue. This is the basic pairing in the paired eigenspaces of the square of a real skew-symmetric matrix.

Since $M$ is real, $(M^2{)}^T=(M^T{)}^2=(-M{)}^2=M^2$. For every real vector $x$,Thus $M^2$ is a real symmetric matrix and is negative semidefinite. When $n$ is odd, part (i) supplies a nonzero $x$ in the kernel of $M$, and then $M^{2}x=0$. Hence zero is an eigenvalue of $M^2$. In fact $\ker M^2=\ker M$, as the displayed norm identity shows.

For a skew-symmetric matrix, $M^T=-M$. Invariance of the determinant under transpose givesFor odd $n$, $2\det M=0$, so $\det M=0$ over the real or complex numbers.

Multiplying the defining equation on the right by $I+A$ gives $(I+U)A=I-U$. Consequently the only possible answer isThe factors commute because they are rational functions of $U$. Its conjugate transpose, using the unitarity $U^{†}=U^{-1}$, isThus $A$ is Skew-Hermitian. Moreover $I+A=2(I+U{)}^{-1}$ and $I-A=2U(I+U{)}^{-1}$, so substitution recovers $U$ and establishes existence as well as uniqueness. The unitary matrix $U=-I$ is a counterexample to invertibility of $I+U$; more generally the obstruction is an eigenvalue $-1$.

Using part (i) and $A^{†}=-A$ in the Cayley transform with argument $-A$ givesThe factors commute because $I-A$ and $I+A$ are polynomials in the same matrix, and an invertible commuting matrix also commutes with the other factor's matrix inverse. Both inverses exist by part (ii). Thus $U$ is unitary.

Since $A$ is Skew-Hermitian, $H=iA$ is a Hermitian matrix. The spectral theorem gives a unitary matrix $Q$ with $Q^{†}HQ=\mathrm{diag}({\lambda }_1,\dots ,{\lambda }_N)$ and real eigenvalues ${\lambda }_j$. Hence $Q^{†}AQ=\mathrm{diag}(-i{\lambda }_j)$ andIn particular the determinant is nonzero, so $I+A$ is invertible. Applying the same argument to $-A$ proves that $I-A$ is also invertible. Equality holds precisely when all ${\lambda }_j=0$, equivalently $A=0$.

Taking the conjugate transpose of $M{M}^{-1}=I$ and $M^{-1}M=I$ reverses the product order and givesThus $(M^{-1}{)}^{†}$ is the two-sided matrix inverse of $M^{†}$, proving

The direct squared L2 norm is the length of the interval, namely $2$. The Fourier transform isFor the transformed norm, let $I={\int }_0^{\infty }{\sin }^{2}k/k^{2}dk$. Integration by parts, with vanishing endpoint term $-{\sin }^{2}k/k$, givesThe supplied oscillatory integral is understood as an improper integral. Thereforewhich agrees with the direct norm and verifies the Parseval identity with the specified normalization.

Set $g=f$. The cross-correlation at zero is $h(0)={\int }_{\mathbb{R}}|f(x){|}^{2}dx$, while part (i) gives $\hat{h}=|\hat{f}{|}^2$. Evaluating the inverse Fourier transform at zero yields the Parseval identityThis derivation is immediate for Schwartz functions, for which all integrations and Fourier inversion are justified. Approximation by such functions and completeness then extend the identity to L2 space, defining its Fourier transform by the corresponding norm limit. This is the Plancherel theorem extension; no absolute integrability of an arbitrary square-integrable function is presumed.

First take $f,g\in L^1(\mathbb{R})$, so Fubini's theorem applies to the cross-correlation double integral. With $s=x+y$, the Fourier transform isThe complex conjugation and the sign in $x+y$ are both essential to this convention.

The source factor cancels the singular denominator of the Green function. Splitting the integral at $\xi =x$ givesUsing $\int (1+\xi )e^{-\xi }d\xi =-(\xi +2)e^{-\xi }$, these two integrals are $e-(x+2)e^{-x}$ and $5/2-x-e(x+2)e^{-x}/2$, respectively. Simplification givesThe exponential and linear terms are homogeneous solutions, while direct differentiation gives $L(-x^2)=x$ for $x\ne 0$. Also $y(-1)=y(1)=0$, and the expression is analytic through zero. Uniqueness in this regular class follows because any difference is a global linear combination $A{e}^x+B(1+x)$: the left boundary forces $A=0$, and the right then forces $B=0$.