On the singular behavior of the solution of \(v''(x)+x \sin{}v(x)=0\) (Q1191832)

The paper is devoted to the study of the singular behaviour as \(a\to\pi-\) of the solution \(v(x;a)\) of the initial value problem \(\text{(I)}_ a\;v''(x)+x\sin v(x)=0\), \(v'(0)=0\), \(v(0)=a\), \(a\in\mathbb{R}\). The main result is the following Theorem. The relation \(\lim_{a\to\pi-}v(z_ n(a);a)=(-1)^{n+1}\pi\) holds for all \(n=1,2,3,\ldots,\) where \(z_ n(a)\) denote the \(n\)-th zero of \(v'(x;a)\). In the last section of the paper the authors illustrate the application of this result to the description of the large deformation of a heavy cantilever by its own weight. Here the properties of the roots \(\tilde a\) and \(y\) of the equations \(v(z_ n(\tilde a);\tilde a)=\pi-\alpha\) and \(v(y;{\overset \approx a})=\pi-\alpha\), respectively, are studied, where \(\alpha\in(0,\pi)\) is assumed.