10 Bessel FunctionsModified Bessel Functions

§10.45 Functions of Imaginary Order

With z=x, and ν replaced by i⁢ν, the modified Bessel’s equation (10.25.1) becomes

10.45.1 x2⁢d2wdx2+x⁢dwdx+(ν2−x2)⁢w=0.

For ν∈ℝ and x ∈(0,∞) define

10.45.2 I~ν⁡(x) =ℜ⁡(Ii⁢ν⁡(x)), K~ν⁡(x) =Ki⁢ν⁡(x).
Then
10.45.3 I~−ν⁡(x) =I~ν⁡(x), K~−ν⁡(x) =K~ν⁡(x),

and I~ν⁡(x), K~ν⁡(x) are real and linearly independent solutions of (10.45.1):

As x→0+

where γν is as in §10.24. The corresponding result for K~ν⁡(x) is given by

when ν>0, and

where γ again denotes Euler’s constant (§5.2(ii)).

In consequence of (10.45.5)–(10.45.7), I~ν⁡(x) and K~ν⁡(x) comprise a numerically satisfactory pair of solutions of (10.45.1) when x is large, and either I~ν⁡(x) and (1/π)⁢sinh⁡(π⁢ν)⁢K~ν⁡(x), or I~ν⁡(x) and K~ν⁡(x), comprise a numerically satisfactory pair when x is small, depending whether ν≠0 or ν=0.

For graphs of I~ν⁡(x) and K~ν⁡(x) see §10.26(iii).

For properties of I~ν⁡(x) and K~ν⁡(x), including uniform asymptotic expansions for large ν and zeros, see Dunster (1990a). In this reference I~ν⁡(x) is denoted by (1/π)⁢sinh⁡(π⁢ν)⁢Li⁢ν⁡(x). See also Gil et al. (2003a), Balogh (1967) and Booker et al. (2013).