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Re: subscribe and ask questions

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg44830] Re: subscribe and ask questions
  • From: Paul Abbott <paul at physics.uwa.edu.au>
  • Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2003 04:24:10 -0500 (EST)
  • Organization: The University of Western Australia
  • References: <bq59vq$jr2$1@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

In article <bq59vq$jr2$1 at smc.vnet.net>,
 Harry Sheng <harryying at yahoo.com> wrote:

> In [Abramowitz and Stegun, 1964] Table 25.9, I try to find the zeros of 
> hermite polynomial. For x_i and w_i, there are (-1) (0) (-2) before the 
> values. Can you tell me what they are?

They are the exponent. (-1) means multiply the following value by 
10^(-1).

You can use Mathematica to compute the x_i as follows. Here I compute 
x_1 and x_2 for n=2;

  x[2, 1] = x /. FindRoot[LaguerreL[2, x], {x, 0.5}]
  0.585786437626905

  x[2, 2] = x /. FindRoot[LaguerreL[2, x], {x, 3}]
  3.414213562373095

To compute w_i use the formula 25.4.45 (however, there is a discrepancy 
between this formula and the results tabulated in 25.9. I have dropped 
the (n!)^2 factor):

  w[n_, i_] := x[n, i]/((n + 1)^2 LaguerreL[n + 1, x[n, i]]^2)

Here I compute w_1 and w_2 for n=2;

  w[2, 1]
  0.8535533905932734

  w[2, 2]
  0.14644660940672627

> If I would use w_i to solve the integral, such as int(exp(-t^2)) from 
> -infinity to infinity, how can I use the weight w_i?

In Mathematica you would not, in general, use Laguerre integration. 
Instead you would either compute the integral in closed-form,

  Integrate[Exp[-t^2],{t,-Infinity, Infinity}]

or numerically (usually when you cannot get a closed-form result),

  NIntegrate[Exp[-t^2],{t,-Infinity, Infinity}]

letting Mathematica decide what numerical integration (or quadrature) 
method to use.

Cheers,
Paul

-- 
Paul Abbott                                   Phone: +61 8 9380 2734
School of Physics, M013                         Fax: +61 8 9380 1014
The University of Western Australia      (CRICOS Provider No 00126G)         
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Crawley WA 6009                      mailto:paul at physics.uwa.edu.au 
AUSTRALIA                            http://physics.uwa.edu.au/~paul


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