Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/paper-1/8/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2017 Paper 1 8 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Insert the Frobenius solution and its differentiated series into the equation. Collecting the terms before shifting an index givesThe coefficient of the lowest power is . Because , the indicial equation givesFor the coefficient of with , shift the index in the second sum. The hypergeometric Frobenius recurrence isWhenever the left coefficient is nonzero, division yieldsFor noninteger , the two independent local solutions can therefore be identified aswith a consistent local branch for the fractional power. The hypergeometric function coefficients follow by iterating the recurrence using rising factorials.
There is a parameter qualification to the PDF's statement for all real constants: a zero denominator cannot be divided through. At an undetermined coefficient at Frobenius resonance, use the undivided coefficient equation to test compatibility. For example, requires , so a pure exponent-zero series with is impossible if . When the two indicial roots coincide, and a second independent solution generally needs a logarithmic term. The indicial roots and undivided relation remain the valid coefficient conclusions in these exceptional cases.
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