Department of Mathematics, IIT Madras

MA2020, Differential Equations

Assignment-4, 2021

1. Use the generating function for Legendre polynomials to prove the following:
(a) Pn (1) = 1 (b) Pn (−x) = (−1)n Pn (x) (c) Pn (−1) = (−1)n
1 · 3 · 5 · · · (2n − 1)
(d) P2n+1 (0) = 0 (e) P2n (0) = (−1)n
2nn!
0 (0) = 0 1 · 3 · 5 · · · (2n + 1)
(f) P2n 0
(g) P2n+1 (0) = .
2nn!
2. Prove that Pn0 (1) = n(n + 1)/2 and Pn0 (−1) = (−1)n−1n(n + 1)/2.
3. Using Rodrigue’s formula and integration by parts show the following:
∫1
(a) −1 x m Pn (x) dx = 0, where m < n are non-negative integers.
∫1 2n+1 (n!)2
(b) −1 x n Pn (x) dx = .
(2n + 1)!
∫1 (n + 2k)!Γ(k + 1/2)
(c) −1 x n+2k Pn (x) dx = n for k = 0, 1, 2, . . .
2 (2k)!Γ(n + k + 3/2)
∫1 2
(d) −1 Pn2 (x) dx = .
∫1 n+1
0 (x) dx = 2.
(e) −1 Pn (x)Pn+1
4. Use integration by parts, Legendre equation and orthogonality of Legendre polynomials
∫1 2n(n + 1)
to prove that −1 (x 2 − 1)Pn+1 (x)Pn0 (x) dx = .
(2n + 1)(2n + 3)
5. Prove the recurrence relation (n + 1)Pn+1 (x) = (2n + 1)xPn (x) − nPn−1 (x).
6. Using orthogonality of Legendre polynomials and the recurrence relation in the previous
problem, show the following:
∫1 2n(n + 1)
(a) x 2Pn+1 (x)Pn−1 (x) dx = .
−1 (2n − 1)(2n + 1)(2n + 3)
∫1 2n
(b) −1
xPn (x)Pn−1 (x) dx = 2 .
4n − 1
∫1 2 h (n + 1)2 n2 i
(c) x Pn (x) dx =
2 2 + .
−1 2n + 1 2n + 3 2n − 1
2 (x) dx = 2n − 1 1 P 2 (x) dx.
∫1 ∫
(d) P n
−1 2n + 1 −1 n−1
∫1 2
(e) P 2 (x) dx =
−1 n
. (Using (d))
2n + 1
√
∫1 2 2
(f) (1 − x) −1/2 Pn (x) dx = .
−1 2n + 1
7. Express in terms of Legendre polynomials: (a) x 3 (b) x 3 + 2x 2 − x + 3.
8. Prove the following identities:
m
Õ 22k (4k + 1)(2m)!(m + k)!
(a) x 2m = P 2k (x).
k=0
(2m + 2k + 1)!(m − k)!

1
 m
Õ 22k+1 (4k + 3)(2m + 1)!(m + k + 1)!
(b) x 2m+1
= P2k+1 (x).
k=0
(2m + 2k + 3)!(m − k)!
∞
1 Õ(−1)k−1 (4k + 1)(2k − 1)!
(c) |x | = + P2k (x).
2 k=1 22k (k + 1)!(k − 1)!
9. Prove the following identities:

(a) (2n + 1)Pn (x) = Pn+1

0 (x) − P 0 (x).
n−1
∞
(
Õ (−1)k (2k)!(4k + 3) −1 for − 1 ≤ x < 0
(b) P2k+1 (x) =
k=0
22k+1k!(k + 1)! 1 for 0 < x ≤ 1.
∫1
2n
(c) xPn (x)Pn0 (x) dx = .
−1 2n + 1
∞
Õ 1 − t2
10. Prove that (2n + 1)Pn (x)t n =
3/2 .
n=0 1 − 2tx + t 2