序列二次规划算法序二次规划算法.doc

Legendre Polynomials Named in honor of Adrien-Marie (1752-1833) the mathematician, not Louis (1752-1797) the politician. Introduction A polynomial is a finite sum of terms like akxk, where k is a positive integer or zero. There are sets of polynomials such that the product of any two different ones, multiplied by a function w(x) called a weight function and integrated over a certain interval, vanishes. Such a set is called a set of orthogonal polynomials. Among other things, this property makes it possible to expand an arbitrary function f(x) as a sum of the polynomials, each multiplied by a coefficient c(k), which is easily and uniquely determined by integration. A Fourier series is similar, but the orthogonal functions are not polynomials. These functions can also be used to specify basis states in quantum mechanics, which must be orthogonal. Legendre Polynomials Denifition The Legendre polynomials Pn(x), n = 0, 1, 2 ... are orthogonal on the interval from -1 to +1, which is expressed by the integral . The Kronecker delta is zero if n ≠ m, and unity if n = m. In most applications, x = cos θ, and θ varies from 0 to π. In this case, dx = sin θ dθ, of course. The Legendre polynomials are a special case of the more general Jacobi polynomials P(α,β)n(x) orthogonal on (-1,1). By a suitable change of variable, the range can be changed from (-1,1) to an arbitrary (a,b). The weight function w(x) of the Legendre polynomials is unity, and this is what distinguishes them from the others and determines them. Applications The Lengendre polynomials are very clearly motivated by a problem that often appears. For example, suppose we have an electric charge q at point Q in the figure at the left, one of a group whose positions are referred to an origin at O, and we desire the potential at some point P. The distance PO is taken as unity for convenience; simply multiply all distances by the actual distance PO in any particular case. The potential due to this charge is q/R. We