Proposal for naming of Bessel functions



>>>>> "willisb" == willisb  <willisb@unk.edu> writes:

    willisb> Commercial Macsyma was a bit chaotic with names for the
    willisb> Bessel functions;  for bessel(a,b), the second argument is
    willisb> the order and for bessel_j(a,b) the first argument is the order.
    willisb> One could also use a subscript for the order: bessel_j[a](x).
    willisb> (Maybe some versions are different; this is the way my
    willisb> macsyma seems to behave.) The display function always showed
    willisb> the order as a subscript.

So, both bessel_j(a,x) and bessel_j[a](x) are recognized and produce
the same results?

Given your response and Richard Fateman's, I think bessel_j[a](x) is
the one we should use.  (I am ignoring the case issue.)

I'll have to think a bit about how bessel_j[a](x) is internally
represented, before I try this out.

Using this syntax, can I take the derivative wrt to a still?  This is
a well-defined operation.

However, I need to get the numerical algorithms in place first....

Ray