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A degenerate ordinary differential equation has a highest-derivative coefficient that vanishes somewhere in its domain. Its solutions can have lower regularity at that point than in the interior. A boundary value problem normally imposes endpoint values by continuous extension while requiring the differential equation in the interior. Requiring it pointwise at a degenerate endpoint with all derivatives finite can impose an extra condition and destroy existence. In a square-root-degenerate endpoint layer, the product of a vanishing square-root coefficient with a diverging second derivative has a finite nonzero interior limit.

The three distinguished limits are the outer expansion at $x=O(1)$, an intermediate asymptotic region at $x=O(ϵ)$, and an inner expansion at $x=O({ϵ}^2)$. The middle scale resolves the coefficient change from $x$ to $x+ϵ$; the narrower scale resolves the unmet left boundary condition. The original equation is understood on $x>0$ with a continuous extension to the boundary. As explained below, imposing a classical second derivative at $x=0$ would be too strong for this degenerate ordinary differential equation.

In the outer expansion, set $y=y_0+ϵy_1+\cdots$. The leading equation is $x(x+1)y_0^{\prime }-x{y}_0=0$. Enforcing the right boundary condition gives $y_0=x+1$. Because $y_0^{\prime \prime }=0$, the next equation is particularly simple:An integrating factor, or the substitution $y_1=(x+1)u$, gives $u^{\prime }=-1/[x(x+1)]$. ThusThe error statement is for $x$ bounded away from zero. The left limiting form is $1+x-ϵ\log (2x)$ through the terms needed for matching. A logarithm in the correction makes a pure integer-power inner ansatz inadequate.

For the intermediate asymptotic region, put $x=ϵs$ and $y=V(s)$. The transformed equation isThe leading $V_0$ is a constant fixed to $1$ by matching. There is no order-$\sqrt{ϵ}$ forcing, so that homogeneous constant is zero after matching. At order $ϵ$, $(s+1)V_1^{\prime }=s$, giving $V_1=s-\log (1+s)+C(ϵ)$. Matching for $1\ll s\ll 1/ϵ$ with the outer expansion fixes $C=-\log (2ϵ)$. HenceThe switchback term $-ϵ\log ϵ$ is larger than an ordinary $O(ϵ)$ constant correction and must be retained. The highest derivative term first changes this middle solution at order ${ϵ}^{3/2}$, so it does not alter the displayed result.

To locate the inner expansion, compare the derivative terms for $x\ll ϵ$. Their ratio at a layer width $\delta$ is $ϵ/\sqrt{\delta }$, so the square-root-degenerate endpoint layer has $\delta ={ϵ}^2$. Put $x={ϵ}^{2}X$ and $y=U(X)$. After dividing by the common leading factor, the equation through order $ϵ$ isBoth orders therefore have the same homogeneous operator $\sqrt{X}{d}^2/d{X}^2+d/dX$. Its derivative mode is proportional to $e^{-2\sqrt{X}}$. Using $U(0)=0$ and the supplied elementary integral, defineThe intermediate asymptotic region gives the overlap value $1-ϵ\log (2ϵ)$ as $s\to 0$. ThereforeIt satisfies the left boundary condition exactly to the retained orders, and its large-$X$ limit matches the middle result in $1\ll X\ll 1/ϵ$. The outer and middle limits match with $ϵ\ll x\ll 1$. These three formulae include all terms through $O(ϵ)$, including the logarithmic switchback; the omitted terms in the middle and inner regions need not be $O({ϵ}^2)$.

For a check on that last point, continue the middle equation by one order. Its ${ϵ}^{3/2}$ term obeysThe integration constant is selected by the outer limit. Its value at $s=0$ is $\pi /2$, so the inner matching amplitude has a next correction $\pi {ϵ}^{3/2}/2$. This independently explains why an $o(ϵ)$ remainder is appropriate.

If a single additive composite expansion is useful, combine the three formulae and subtract their two common overlaps. Writing $A=1-ϵ\log (2ϵ)$ and interpreting $x\log x=0$ at zero givesIt is zero at $x=0$, gives $2+O({ϵ}^2)$ at $x=1$, and reproduces all three retained expansions. It does not assert an $O({ϵ}^2)$ error uniformly through the nested regions.

Finally, near zero $H(X)=2X-\frac{8}{3}{X}^{3/2}+O(X^2)$. Thus the solution has a finite nonzero first derivative but generally a second derivative diverging like $x^{-1/2}$. This is compatible with the equation for $x>0$: the vanishing coefficient of $y^{\prime \prime }$ multiplies that singular derivative to give a finite limit. If one instead required $y\in C^2[0,1]$ and the differential equation pointwise at $0$, the left condition would force $y^{\prime }(0)=0$. The normalized equation's other coefficients have only integrable $x^{-1/2}$ singularities, so uniqueness for the initial value problem with $y(0)=y^{\prime }(0)=0$ would give the zero solution, contradicting the right condition. Explicitly, write the normalized equation as a first-order system for $(y,y^{\prime })$ with an integrable coefficient matrix; its integral equation and the Gronwall inequality force a solution with zero initial vector to vanish. The continuous-endpoint interpretation is therefore essential.