Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-differential-equations-2-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017/3/a/ii/solution

Substitute a Frobenius series into the transformed equation. For , equating the coefficient of gives the recurrence relation
At the larger indicial root , the coefficient of is , so a Frobenius solution always exists. At the smaller indicial root , the first two equations are
Since , the exceptional equation is consistent exactly when
These are both admissible values, including the zero value; the singular wording of the question does not remove either. This is the undetermined coefficient at Frobenius resonance: at either value is free, whereas otherwise the second independent solution requires a Logarithmic Frobenius solution.
Explicit pairs demonstrate sufficiency and linear independence. In the variable one may take
Both displayed have leading term , while . They therefore give independent Frobenius solutions with the two indicial exponents, and direct differentiation verifies the equation. The point is an apparent regular singular point in these two cases.
For the requested closed forms, particularly short choices are
In addition, solves the zero-parameter equation and solves the equation with .

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