3.

Legendres Equation

Consider Legendres equation

1 x ddx y 2x dy
l l 1 y 0
dx
2

(26)

where l is a constant. As noted earlier, this equation is obtained from equation (1) by setting
px 2 x 1 x 2 and qx l l 1 1 x 2 . Since x 0 is an ordinary point for this ODE, we
seek a solution of the form given by equation (10), that is

an x n

n 0

Then as in equation (12)

2x

dxn

dy
d
2 x nan x n 1 2 nan x n
2 x an x n 2 x an

dx
dx n 0
n 0 dx
n0
n0

(27)

Also as in equation (13)

d

1 x ddx y 1 x dxd dy
1 x na x
dx
dx
2

1 x2

n0

nn 1a x

n0

n2

n 1

n0

n0

2
1 x

na dxd x

n0

n 1

nn 1an x n 2 nn 1an x n
(28)

Using equations (10), (27), and (28) in equation (26) yields

nn 1an x n 2

n0

n0

n0

n0

nn 1an x n 2 nan x n l l 1 an x n 0

(29)

Writing the first two terms in the first sum in equation (29) explicitly thus

n0

n2

nn 1an x n 2 0 1 a0 x 2 1 0 a1 x 1 nn 1an x n 2

equation (29) becomes

0 1 a0 x 2 1 0 a1 x 1

n2

n0

n0

n0

nn 1an x n 2 nn 1an x n 2 nan x n l l 1 an x n 0

(30)

From equation (30), we see that a0 and a1 are arbitrary constants which can take any value and
still satisfy the equation. As in equation (17), the third term in equation (30) can be written as

n2

n 0

nn 1an x n2 n 1n 2an2 x n

Therefore since the first two terms in (30) vanish, we obtain

n0

n0

n0

n0

n 1n 2an 2 x n nn 1an x n 2 nan x n l l 1 an x n 0

(31)

This equation may be written as

n0

n0

n 1n 2an 2 x n nn 1 2n l l 1an x n 0

(32)

Also writing nn 1 2n nn 1 , equation (32) becomes

n 1n 2an 2 nn 1 l l 1an x n 0

(33)

n0

For equation (33) to hold for all x , we must have

n 1n 2an 2 nn 1 l l 1 0
which yields the recurrence relation for Legendres equation thus
an 2

nn 1 l l 1 a
n 1n 2 n

(34)

From this relation, we have for n 0,1,2, and 3 respectively

a2

00 1 l l 1 a l l 1 a
0
0 10 2 0
2!

a3

11 1 l l 1 a 2 l l 1 a
1
1 11 2 1
3!

l 1l 2
a1
3!

a4

(35a)

(35b)

22 1 l l 1 a 6 l l 1 l l 1 a
0
2 12 2 2
3 4
2!

l l 1 2
l l 1l 2l 3
l l 6 a0
a0
4!
4!

(35c)

a5

33 1 l l 1 a 12 l l 1 l 1l 2 a
1
3 13 2 3
45
3!

l 3l 4l 1l 2 a

5!

(35d)

Using equation (35) in equation (10), we see that the general solution for Legendres equation
is
y a0 x 0 a1 x1

l 1l 2 a x3 l l 1l 2l 3 a x 4
l l 1
a0 x 2
1
0
2!
3!
4!

l 3l 4l 1l 2 a x5 ....
1

5!

(36)

Factoring out the arbitrary constants a0 and a1 in equation (36) we obtain

l l 1 2 l l 1l 2l 3 4
y a0 1
x
x ...
2!
4!

l 1l 2 x3 l 1l 2l 3l 4 x5 ...

a1 x

3!
5!

(37)

We may also write the solution as

y y1 y2

(38)

where
l l 1 2 l l 1l 2l 3 4
y1 a0 1
x
x ...
2!
4!

(39a)

and

l 1l 2 x3 l 1l 2l 3l 4 x5 ...

y2 a1 x

3!
5!

3.6

(39b)

Legendre Polynomials

If l in Legendres equation is an integer, then from the recurrence relation (equation 34) we
see that the coefficients al 2 , al 4 , etc vanish and either series y1 or y2 terminates to yield a
polynomial of order l .
For example if l 0 , we have a2 a4 0 and the first series terminates to give

y1 a0

(40)

which is a polynomial of order 0.

Similarly if l 1 , we have a3 a5 0 and the second series terminates to a polynomial of
order 1 thus
y2 a1x

(41)

For l 2 , and a4 a6 0 the first series terminates to give

y1 a0 1 3x 2

(42)

For l 3 , and a5 a7 0 the second series terminates to yield

10

y2 a1 x x 3
6

(43)

The Legendre polynomials Pl x , where l 0,1,2,3, , are solutions of Legendres equation

which are normalized by choosing a0 or a1 such that Pl x 1 1 .
For example choosing a0 1, a1 1, a0 1 2 and a0 3 2 in equations (40), (41), (42) and
(43) respectively, yields the first four Legendre polynomials as follows.
P0 x 1

(44a)

P1 x x

(44b)

P2 x

1 2
3x 1
2

P3 x

1 3
5 x 3x
2

(44c)

(44d)