Solutions to 2 similar ODE's. Why does they differ that much?

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In summary, the solution to the ODE R''+(1/r)R'-KR=0, by letting K=-\lambda ^2 is a linear combination of the Bessel functions of order 0, and the physically acceptable solution must have c_2=0. However, in another problem with a similar ODE, R''+\frac{2R'}{r}+CR=0, the solution is of the form R(r)=c_2\frac{\sin (\sqrt C r )}{r}, which differs greatly from the solution in wikipedia. This is because the Bessel function of the first kind of order 0 cannot be written as a constant times sin (kx) /x. Additionally, the
  • #1
fluidistic
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I'm reading on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrations_of_a_circular_drum#The_radially_symmetric_case) that the solution to the ODE [itex]R''+(1/r)R'-KR=0[/itex], by letting [itex]K=-\lambda ^2[/itex] is a linear combination of the Bessel functions of order 0, namely [itex]R(r)=c_1 J_0 (\lambda r ) + c_2 Y_0 (\lambda r)[/itex]. Then they say that c_2 must equal 0 for the solution to make physical sense (because Y_0 diverges at r=0) and thus the solution to the ODE is of the form [itex]R(r)=c_1J_0 (\lambda r )[/itex]. So far so good.
However in the problem of my thread https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=652277, I had the equation [itex]R''+\frac{2R'}{r}+CR=0[/itex] which is very similar to the ODE in wikipedia and I've determined that the physically acceptable solution is of the form [itex]R(r)=c_2\frac{\sin (\sqrt C r )}{r}[/itex] (I've checked that it indeed satisfies the ODE). I find this unbelievable that the solution to the ODE of my problem differs so much from the one in wikipedia. What's going on here? I'm totally clueless.

Edit: Here's a graph between J_0(x) and sin (x) /x : http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=graph+J_0+(x)+and+sin+(x)+/x+from+0+to+100. They are very similar! Is it possible to write the Bessel function of the first kind of order 0 as a constant times sin (kx) /x?
 
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  • #2
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessel_function, "The graphs of Bessel functions look roughly like oscillating sine or cosine functions that decay proportionally to 1/√x, although their roots are not generally periodic, except asymptotically for large x."
 
  • #3
haruspex said:
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessel_function, "The graphs of Bessel functions look roughly like oscillating sine or cosine functions that decay proportionally to 1/√x, although their roots are not generally periodic, except asymptotically for large x."

Ah thank you! I missed this part!
So basically although the solutions to [itex]R''+(1/r)R'-KR=0[/itex] and [itex]R''+(2/r)R'-KR=0[/itex] can look similar, there's still some "huge" difference in that Bessel functions are involved in the first ODE but not in the second. And that we cannot write the Bessel function of the first kind of order 0 as a constant times sin (kx) /x.
Wow, impressive.

P.S.:I'm just seeing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spherical_Bessel_function#Spherical_Bessel_functions:_jn.2C_yn. Apparently [itex]\sin x /x[/itex] is a spherical Bessel function (of order 0 I think)! That appears when solving the Helmholtz equation in spherical coordinates. Wow.
 

Related to Solutions to 2 similar ODE's. Why does they differ that much?

1. What is an ODE?

An ODE, or ordinary differential equation, is a mathematical equation that describes the relationship between a function and its derivatives. It is commonly used to model physical systems in science and engineering.

2. What is a solution to an ODE?

A solution to an ODE is a function that satisfies the equation when substituted into it. It represents the behavior of the system described by the ODE.

3. Why are there different solutions to similar ODEs?

Two ODEs may have different solutions because they have different initial conditions, different coefficients, or different forms. Small changes in these parameters can result in drastically different solutions.

4. How can we determine which solution is correct?

The correct solution to an ODE can be determined by checking if it satisfies the initial conditions and is consistent with the physical behavior of the system. It is also important to verify that the solution is mathematically valid.

5. What factors can affect the accuracy of the solutions?

The accuracy of solutions to ODEs can be affected by the numerical methods used to solve them, the precision of input parameters, and the complexity of the equations. The stability of the solution method also plays a role in the accuracy of the results.

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