Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/paper-1/3/solution

Expand the radial modified Helmholtz equation as . Setting gives , so
Boundedness at zero requires , whereas boundedness at infinity requires . The respective adapted homogeneous solutions are therefore
The first has limit one at zero. Their Wronskian is . Since the highest-derivative coefficient of is , the Green function must have first-derivative jump . The radial modified Helmholtz Green function on the half-line is
It is continuous at the source, and its derivative jump is , giving . For fixed source it tends to as and decays at infinity. This kernel is for the original operator and ordinary measure ; multiplying the equation by would change the source normalization.
For the compact source, split the integral at when . The needed antiderivatives are
Thus
while for the result is . Simplifying gives
The continuous value at zero is , and . Both and match at , so no extra Dirac delta appears there. The only homogeneous solution bounded at both ends is zero, establishing uniqueness.

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