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Re: SphericalHarmonics strange behavior

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg100983] Re: [mg100961] SphericalHarmonics strange behavior
  • From: Bob Hanlon <hanlonr at cox.net>
  • Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:45:57 -0400 (EDT)
  • Reply-to: hanlonr at cox.net

It's a precision issue

diffY[l_, m_, t_, p_] :=
  Module[{val1, val2},
   val1 = SphericalHarmonicY[l, m, t, p];
   val2 = Sqrt[(2*l + 1) (l - m)!/(4*Pi (l + m)!)]*
     LegendreP[l, m, Cos[t]]*E^(I*m*p);
   Abs[val1 - val2]];

th1 = 1.324;
ph1 = 5.231;

{diffY[1, 1, th1, ph1], diffY[1, -1, th1, ph1]} //
 Chop

{0,0.670051}

th1 = 1.324`20;
ph1 = 5.231`20;

{diffY[1, 1, th1, ph1], diffY[1, -1, th1, ph1]} //
 Chop

{0,0}

Your definition would need to include an option for setting the working precision.


Bob Hanlon

---- "lbloy at seas.upenn.edu" <lbloy at seas.upenn.edu> wrote: 

=============
Hi all,

working with some spherical harmonics and have some questions about the code as implemented in mathematica.

based on http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SphericalHarmonic.html

I put together the following code to see what is implemented

th1 = 1.324;
ph1 = 5.231;

diffY[l_, m_, t_, p_] := 
  Module[{val1, val2}, val1 = SphericalHarmonicY[l, m, t, p]; 
        val2 = 
    Sqrt[((2*l + 1)*(l - m)!)/((4*Pi)*(l + m)!)]*
     LegendreP[l, m, Cos[t]]*E^(I*m*p); 
        Print[{val1, val2, Abs[val1 - val2]}]; 
   Return[Abs[val1 - val2]]; ]; 

diffY[1, 1, th1, ph1]

diffY[1, -1, th1, ph1]

Clearly there is some sign error somewhere I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.

thanks
Luke




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