Problem while playing with Bessel functions

saybrook1
Messages
101
Reaction score
4

Homework Statement


I have run into a number of problems while working through problems regarding Bessel and Modified Bessel Functions. At one point I run into i^{m}e^{\frac{im\pi}{2}} and it needs to equal (-1)^m but I'm not sure how it does. This came up while trying to solve an identity for a modified Bessel function in problem 14.5.2 in Arfken and Weber 'Mathematical Methods for Physicists'. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Homework Equations


i^{m}e^{\frac{im\pi}{2}}=(-1)^m but how??

The Attempt at a Solution


I solved for this by expanding the exponent into cos and sin but I wind up with i^{m} [cos\frac{m\pi}{2}+(-1)^{m}\sin\frac{m\pi}{2}] and don't know how that can equal (-1)^m
 
Physics news on Phys.org
saybrook1 said:

Homework Statement


I have run into a number of problems while working through problems regarding Bessel and Modified Bessel Functions. At one point I run into i^{m}e^{\frac{im\pi}{2}} and it needs to equal (-1)^m but I'm not sure how it does. This came up while trying to solve an identity for a modified Bessel function in problem 14.5.2 in Arfken and Weber 'Mathematical Methods for Physicists'. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Homework Equations


i^{m}e^{\frac{im\pi}{2}}=(-1)^m but how??

The Attempt at a Solution


I solved for this by expanding the exponent into cos and sin but I wind up with i^{m} [cos\frac{m\pi}{2}+(-1)^{m}\sin\frac{m\pi}{2}] and don't know how that can equal (-1)^m
There is an error in i^{m} [cos\frac{m\pi}{2}+(-1)^{m}\sin\frac{m\pi}{2}], that should be i^{m} [cos\frac{m\pi}{2}+i\sin\frac{m\pi}{2}]

An easy way to solve your exercise it to consider four case separately: ##m=0, m=1,m=2, m=3##.
 
Samy_A said:
There is an error in i^{m} [cos\frac{m\pi}{2}+(-1)^{m}\sin\frac{m\pi}{2}], that should be i^{m} [cos\frac{m\pi}{2}+i\sin\frac{m\pi}{2}]

An easy way to solve your exercise it to consider four case separately: ##m=0, m=1,m=2, m=3##.
You're right, I just typed it out incorrectly. Okay, I'll try and consider those cases; Thank you.
 
saybrook1 said:

Homework Statement


I have run into a number of problems while working through problems regarding Bessel and Modified Bessel Functions. At one point I run into i^{m}e^{\frac{im\pi}{2}} and it needs to equal (-1)^m but I'm not sure how it does. This came up while trying to solve an identity for a modified Bessel function in problem 14.5.2 in Arfken and Weber 'Mathematical Methods for Physicists'. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Homework Equations


i^{m}e^{\frac{im\pi}{2}}=(-1)^m but how??

The Attempt at a Solution


I solved for this by expanding the exponent into cos and sin but I wind up with i^{m} [cos\frac{m\pi}{2}+(-1)^{m}\sin\frac{m\pi}{2}] and don't know how that can equal (-1)^m
If you express i in polar form, you have i = e(iπ/2). From there, you should be able to find im in polar form quite easily and then to find the product of im and e(imπ/2) in polar form.

Soon after that, a vist from your Uncle Bob can be expected.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
Back
Top