EXERCISE 8.1.

Replacing z by z +1 in the Euler integral, we can write

∞ M
Γ ( z+ 1 )=∫ e−t t z dt= lim ∫ e−t t z dt
0 M →∞ 0

Let us integrate by parts, calling t z =u, e−t dt=dv ; then we get

M M

du=z t z−1 −t z

M→∞ {
−t
M
−t

0
z−1
} { z −M

M →∞ 0
−t z −1
dt ,∧v=−e , Γ ( z+ 1 )= lim ( t ) (−e )|0 −∫ (−e )( z t ) dt ¿ lim −M e + z ∫ e t dt }
But since e−∞ =0, the first term of the above expression vanishes. Hence, what remains is
∞
Γ ( z+ 1 )=z ∫ e−t t z−1 dt ,
0

from which we obtain the basic relation

Γ ( z+ 1 )=z Γ ( z ) .

Now since
∞
Γ ( 1 )=∫ e−t dt=1 ,
0

we conclude for integer n,

Γ ( z+ 1 )=z Γ ( z )=z ( z−1) Γ ( z −1 )¿ z ( z−1)⋯ 1 Γ ( 1 )=n !

EXERCISE 8.1.4

1
Starting with the Euler integral
∞
Γ ( z )=∫ e−t t z −1 dt ,
0

we let t=u2 , so dt =2 u du

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
u2z 2z
−u u

0
2

Γ ( z )=∫ e−u ( u2 )
z −1

0
2

2 u du=2 ∫ e−u ( u2 z−2 ) u du¿ 2∫ e

0
−u
2

( )
u 2
u du=2 ∫
0
e
2

u ( ) 0
2

du Γ ( z )=2∫ e−u u2 z−1 du

EXERCISE 11.1.2

2
For Bessel functions of integer order, the generating function is given by
∞
( x/ 2) ( t−1 /t )
g ( x , t )=e = ∑ J n ( x) t n ,
n=−∞

where the coefficient of tn is

∞
(−1 )s x n+ 2 s
xn x n+2
J n ( x ) =∑
s =0 s ! ( n+ s ) ! 2
() = −
2n n ! 2n +2 ( n+1 ) !
+⋯

Using the relationship g ( x , t )=g ( u+v , t )=g(u , t )∙ g(v ,t ), we can write

∞
(−1 )s u n+2 s ∞
(−1 ) s v n +2 s
J n ( u+v ) =∑
s=0 s ! ( n+ s ) ! 2 () ∙∑
s=0
()
s ! ( n+ s ) ! 2
.

EXERCISE 12.1.1

3
 P

The electrostatic potential at point P due to the linear electric quadrupole is

1 q 2q q q 1 2 1
φ= ( − + = ) (
− + .
4 π ε0 r 1 r r2 4 π ε 0 r 1 r r2 )
Now, using the law of cosines,
2
a a
2 2 2
( ( ) ( ))
2
( r 1 ) =r + a −2 ar cos θ=r 1−2 r
cos θ+
r
2 1 2 −1
a a 1 1 a a
r 1=r 1−2
( ()
r
cos θ+
r ( )) ( ( ) ( ))
2
= 1−2
r1 r r
cos θ+
r
2
.

Similarly,
2
a a
2 2 2 2
( ()
( r 2 ) =r + a −2 ar cos ( 180 °−θ )=r 1+2 r cos θ+ r ( ))
2 1 2 −1
a a 1 1 a a
r 2=r 1+2
( ()
r
cos θ+
r ( )) 2
= 1+2
r2 r ( ()
r
cos θ+
r ( )) 2
.

Upon substitution into our expression for the electrostatic potential, we obtain
2 −1 2 −1
φ=
[(
q 1
4 π ε0 r ()
1−2
a
r
cos θ+
a
r ( )) 2 2 1
− + 1+2
r r
a
( ()
r
cos θ+
a
r ( )) 2
] ,

2 −1 2 −1
¿
q
4 π ε0 r [(
1−2
a
r()
cos θ+
a
r ( )) 2
( ()
−2+ 1+2
a
r
cos θ+
a
( ))
r
2
] .

Evidently, the first and second radicals resemble each other in form, except that a has been
replaced by −a . Then, using the generating function formula
4
 −1 ∞
g ( t , x )=( 1−2 xt +t 2 ) 2 =∑ Pn ( x ) t n ,|t |<1 ,
n=0

we can write our electrostatic potential function as

∞ ∞
a n n
φ=
q
4 π ε0 r [ ∑ P n ( cos θ ) r −2+ ∑ Pn ( cos θ ) (−1 )n ar
n=0
() n=0
( ) ],
which when expanded yields

a 0 a 1 a 2 a 3 a 4 a 5
φ=
q
4 π ε0 r [(
P0 ( cos θ )
r ()
+ P 1 ( cos θ )
r ()
+ P2 ( cos θ )
r() + P3 ( cos θ ) ()
r ()
+ P 4 ( cos θ )
r () ) (
+ P5 ( cos θ )
r
+ ⋯ −2+ P 0 ( cos θ )(−

a 2 a 3 a 4 a 5
¿
q
4 π ε0 r[(
P0 ( cos θ ) + P1 ( cos θ )
a
r ()
+ P 2 ( cos θ )
r ()
+ P3 ( cos θ )
r () ()
+ P4 ( cos θ )
r () ) (
+ P 5 ( cos θ )
r
+⋯ −2+ P0 ( cos θ )−P1 ( cos θ

By inspection, we see that all the odd P terms are cancelled due to the (−1 )n factor in the
second series. Moreover, since P0 ( cos θ )=1 , the two monopole terms also vanish due to the −2 q
charge located at the origin. Therefore, what survive in the electrostatic potential function are
only the even Pn terms starting from n=2 :

q a 2 a 4
φ=
4 π ε0 r (
2 P 2 ( cos θ )
r ()
+2 P 4 ( cos θ )
r () )
+⋯ .

However, since only the first term is dominant for r ≫ a , we can just drop all terms succeeding
P2 so that essentially,

2 q a 2 P2 ( cos θ ) 2 q a 2 3 cos 2 θ−1

φ=
4 π ε0 r3
=
4 π ε0 r3 ( 2 )
q a2 3 cos2 θ−1
φ=
4 π ε0 ( r3
. )
This result tells us that the potential φ of a linear electric quadrupole varies as 1/r 3.

5
EXERCISE 12.1.3

We know from Coulomb’s law that the electrostatic potential at P due to the point
charge q is inversely proportional to d :

q
φ (d )= .
4 π ε0 d

But according to the cosine law,

2
d 2=a2+|r⃗| −2a|⃗r|cos θ

where |r⃗|=r is the magnitude of the coordinate vector r⃗ . Hence, using this relationship,
we can also write the electrostatic potential as a function of r⃗ :

q 1
φ ( r⃗ ) = ∙ 2 2 .
4 π ε 0 √a +r −2 ar cos θ

6
If we factor out a 2 from the radical in the above expression and then rearrange the
remaining terms inside the radical, we obtain
−1 −1 2 −1
r 2 2 r cos θ 2 r cos θ r 2
φ ( r⃗ ) =
q
4 π ε0 [(
a2 1+ 2 −
a a )]2
¿
q
4 π ε0 a (
1−
a
+ 2
a )2
¿
q
[
4 π ε0 a
1−2 cos θ
r
a
+
r
( ) ( )]
a
2

As specified in the problem, r < a. It follows then that ( ar )<1 , which satisfies the condition
for convergence of the generating function formula provided in Equation (12.4)
−1 ∞
g ( t , x )=( 1−2 xt +t 2 ) 2 =∑ Pn ( x ) t n ,|t |<1 ,
n=0

r
with a =t and cos θ=x . Therefore, the electrostatic potential produced by a charge q at
z=a for r<a can be represented by the series expansion
∞
q r n
φ ( r⃗ ) = ∑ ()
4 π ε 0 a n=0 a
Pn ( cos θ ) .