Integral formulas associated with products of Bessel functions: A new partial differential equation approach (Q1334853)

The authors devise an interesting approach for constructing integral representations for products of Bessel functions. They formulate the integrals in terms of solutions to the hyperbolic equation \((L^ \alpha_ \xi- L^ \alpha_ \eta) u(\xi,\eta)= 0\), \(0< \xi\), \(\eta< \infty\), where \(L^ \alpha_ \xi= \partial_{\xi\xi}+ [(2\alpha+ 1)/\xi]\partial_ \xi\) for \(|\alpha|< 1/2\), which, together with its partial derivatives, meet certain initial and boundary conditions along the coordinate axes or at infinity. One of the applications results in a formula of \textit{R. Askey}, \textit{T. H. Koornwinder} and \textit{M. Rahman} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 33, 133-148 (1986; Zbl 0584.33008)] which evaluates the triple product \[ I^ \infty_{\alpha,\alpha}= \int^ \infty_ 0 J_ \alpha(\lambda \xi)J_ \alpha(\lambda x)J_ \alpha(\lambda y)\lambda^{\alpha+1} d\lambda \] of Bessel functions of the first and second kind. The idea is to represent a solution in terms of initial data outside of the interval \(| x- y|\leq \xi\leq x+ y\) by applying Green's theorem to a configuration of six subregions of the domain. Detailed information about the corresponding Riemann and associated Riemann functions is utilized in the construction. The approach differs from Riemann's method due to the facts that \(I^ \infty_{\alpha,\alpha}\) does not have unbounded support, and that the symmetric and antisymmetric linear combinations of the solution are referenced to the points \((x,y)\) and \((y,z)\) rather than to the solution \(u(x,y)\) itself. This representation permits the use of certain symmetry arguments even though the original problem is not symmetric. Applications yield new proofs of L. Durand's product formula for modified Bessel functions and a generalization of Sonine's integral. The authors remark on the feasibility of the application of their method to other types of product formulae. Among the potential applications noted are the integrals representing products of ultraspherical polynomials and of Whittaker and Jacobi functions, provided that a suitable second solution of the associated Sturm-Liouville problem is available.