Mathematics Atlas

How Proof Is Made
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Mathematical Object

Airy Function

Analysis

The Airy function, or Airy function of the first kind, is a special function named after the British astronomer George Biddell Airy. It and a related second function are the two linearly independent solutions of the differential equation d squared y over d x squared minus x y equals zero, known as the Airy equation or the Stokes equation. Because a related linear equation is oscillatory for negative values of its parameter and exponential for positive values, the Airy functions are oscillatory for negative x and exponential for positive x, making the Airy equation the simplest second order linear differential equation with a turning point, a point at which solutions change character from oscillatory to exponential.

Facts
Classification
Object Kind
Function 1
Origin Year
1838 1
Connections

Is Kind Of Object

Functions, Concepts

Entity-backed identity for the object-kind enum value this mathematical object already carries, resolved to a mathematics concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The object-kind fact itself stays on the object unchanged.

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Airy function
  • References
    Airy (1838), "On the intensity of light in the neighbourhood of a caustic", Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 6
  • Introduction
    the Airy function (or Airy function of the first kind) is a special function named after the British astronomer George Biddell Airy.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.