An approximate solution of a second-order differential equation

approximationasymptoticsordinary differential equationsquantum mechanicsspecial functions

In the book, Mathematical Methods for Students of Physics and Related Fields, Second Edition by Sadri Hassani, Page 667, the author has stated that, for the following differential equation

$y''(x) – x^2 y(x) \approx 0$,

where $x \to \infty$, one can easily obtain an approximate solution of the form $e^{\pm x^2/2}$.

Is there any approach to obtain this solution, besides solving the exact differential equation $y''(x) – x^2 y(x) = 0$ by the Frobenius method, and then taking the limit of the solutions (Hermite polynomials) as $x \to \infty$?

Best Answer

In general the equation $y''-qy=0$ with $0<q(x)\to\infty$ for $x\to\infty$ has the WKB approximation (see wikipedia, this is a standard example) of basis solutions $$ y(x)=q(x)^{-\frac14}\exp\left(\pm\int\sqrt{q(x)}dx\right) $$ where the first factor is the second order term in the expansion. So indeed, in first order you would get $y(x)=\exp(\pm\frac{x^2}2)$, while in second order, there would be additionally a factor $\frac1{\sqrt{x}}$.


The approach is to set $y=\exp(S)$ with an expansion $S=S_0+S_1+S_2+...$ where $S_0\gg S_1\gg S_2\gg...$ for $x\to\infty$. This scale also translates to the derivatives. Set for shortness $S'=s$ then isolating the components of equal scale in $s'+s^2-q=0$ gives $$ s_0^2=q\\ s_0'+2s_0s_1=0\\\vdots $$ which implies $s_0=\pm\sqrt q$ and $s_1=-\frac{s_0'}{2s_0}\implies S_1=-\frac12\ln|s_0|=-\frac14\ln(q)$.

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