Properties of the solutions of the fourth-order Bessel-type differential equation (Q2272045)

The authors study properties of the solutions of the fourth-order Bessel-type differential equation \[ \left[xy''(x)\right]''-\left[(9x^{-1}+8M^{-1}x)y'(x)\right]'=\Lambda xy(x),\quad x>0, \] where \(M>0\) and \(\Lambda\in\mathbb{C}\) is the spectral parameter. This equation belongs to a sequence of structured ordinary differential equations of even order with analytic coefficients in the complex plane introduced in [\textit{W. N. Everitt} and \textit{C. Markett}, J. Comput. Appl. Math. 54, No.~3, 325--349 (1994; Zbl 0827.33003)] and has many features in common with certain higher-order differential equations associated with Laguerre- and Jacobi-type orthogonal polynomials. On the other hand, such a higher-order Bessel-type differential equation may be seen as an extension of the classical second-order Bessel differential equation with parameter \(\nu=0\). This fourth-order differential equation can be written in Lagrange symmetric (formally self-adjoint) form. In [loc. cit.], it was shown that there exists a solution which can be represented in terms of the classical (modified) Bessel functions of order \(0\) and \(1\). In this paper, the authors prove the existence of a solution basis using some advanced theory of special functions in the complex plane. The methods lead to the development of analytical properties of these solutions, in particular the series expansions of all solutions at the regular singularity at the origin.