Asymptotic expansion and generalized Schläfli integral representation for the eigenfunction of a singular second-order differential operator (Q1378623)

This paper considers second-order differential equations of the form \[ u''- [(\alpha^2- \textstyle{{1\over 4}})t^{-2}- \lambda^2- \chi(t)]u(t)= 0,\tag{\(*\)} \] which are related with Bessel, Legendre, Gegenbauer and Whittaker functions and the elementary spherical functions of noncompact Riemannian symmetric spaces of rank one. With the help of the Schläfli integral representation of the modified Bessel functions and Volterra integral equations, the authors give an asymptotic expansion of the eigenfunction \(V(\lambda, t)\) of \((*)\) when \(|\lambda|\to +\infty\) and establish its generalized Schläfli integral representation. As applications the authors give asymptotic expansions and generalized Schläfli integral representations of the eigenfunctions of the radial part of Laplace-Beltrami operators on noncompact Riemannian symmetric spaces, of Jacobi functions and of Whittaker functions.