Legendre's Equation for Undergraduates

Abstract

Expansion of solutions in powers of sineθ has been recently suggested as a means of avoiding strain on students when discussing Legendre's differential equation. Suggestions are made for easing the strain further during the determination of the solutions, the part of the analysis which is made naturally easy by this mode of expansion. The problems that are not made as easy are discussed, such as the problem of deciding which solutions are physically acceptable.