Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2021/paper-1/8/e/solution

The Taylor series of the logarithm gives
Therefore the closed form of the larger-root Frobenius solution is
The series derivation holds initially for ; the closed form extends as a real solution to all . To check it without series, put in the original equation. All undifferentiated terms cancel and the remaining expression is . Hence , and indeed solves it. Its logarithm is analytic near zero, so this is not a forced companion term at the Frobenius point.

New to topics? Read the docs here!