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Legendre's relation

Legendre's relation is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Legendre's relation rather than just read about it. In short: In mathematics, Legendre's relation can be expressed in either of two forms: as a relation between complete elliptic integrals, or as a relation between periods and quasiperiods of elliptic functions. The two forms are equivalent as the periods and quasiperiods can be expressed in terms of complete elliptic integrals.

Key takeaways

  • Legendre's relation belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Legendre's relation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Legendre's relation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In mathematics, Legendre's relation can be expressed in either of two forms: as a relation between complete elliptic integrals, or as a relation between periods and quasiperiods of elliptic functions. The two forms are equivalent as the periods and quasiperiods can be expressed in terms of complete elliptic integrals. It was introduced (for complete elliptic integrals) by A. M. Legendre (1811, 1825, p. 61).

Complete elliptic integrals Legendre's relation stated using complete elliptic integrals is

K ′ E + K E ′ − K K ′ = π 2 {\displaystyle K'E+KE'-KK'={\frac {\pi }{2}}}

where K and K′ are the complete elliptic integrals of the first kind for values satisfying k2 + k′2 = 1, and E and E′ are the complete elliptic integrals of the second kind. This form of Legendre's relation expresses the fact that the Wronskian of the complete elliptic integrals (considered as solutions of a differential equation) is a constant.

Elliptic functions Legendre's relation stated using elliptic functions is

ω 2 η 1 − ω 1 η 2 = 2 π i {\displaystyle \omega _{2}\eta _{1}-\omega _{1}\eta _{2}=2\pi i\,}

where ω1 and ω2 are the periods of the Weierstrass elliptic function, and η1 and η2 are the quasiperiods of the Weierstrass zeta function. Some authors normalize these in a different way differing by factors of 2, in which case the right hand side of the Legendre relation is πi or πi / 2. This relation can be proved by integrating the Weierstrass zeta function about the boundary of a fundamental region and applying Cauchy's residue theorem.

Proof

Proof of the lemniscatic case The lemniscatic arc sine and the complementary lemniscatic arcsine are defined as follows:

arcsl ⁡ ( r ) = ∫ 0 r 1 1 − ρ 4 d ρ = 1 2 2 K ( 1 2 2 ) − 1 2 2 E [ arccos ⁡ ( r ) ; 1 2 2 ] {\displaystyle \operatorname {arcsl} (r)=\int _{0}^{r}{\frac {1}{\sqrt {1-\rho ^{4}}}}\,\mathrm {d} \rho ={\frac {1}{2}}{\sqrt {2}}\,K{\bigl (}{\tfrac {1}{2}}{\sqrt {2}}{\bigr )}-{\frac {1}{2}}{\sqrt {2}}\,E{\bigl [}\arccos(r);{\tfrac {1}{2}}{\sqrt {2}}{\bigr ]}}

arcsl ∗ ⁡ ( r ) = ∫ 0 r 1 + ρ 2 1 − ρ 4 d ρ = 2 E ( 1 2 2 ) − 2 E [ arccos ⁡ ( r ) ; 1 2 2 ] {\displaystyle \operatorname {arcsl} ^{*}(r)=\int _{0}^{r}{\frac {1+\rho ^{2}}{\sqrt {1-\rho ^{4}}}}\,\mathrm {d} \rho ={\sqrt {2}}\,E{\bigl (}{\tfrac {1}{2}}{\sqrt {2}}{\bigr )}-{\sqrt {2}}\,E{\bigl [}\arccos(r);{\tfrac {1}{2}}{\sqrt {2}}{\bigr ]}}

And these derivatives are valid:

d d r arcsl ⁡ ( r ) = 1 1 − r 4 {\displaystyle {\frac {\mathrm {d} }{\mathrm {d} r}}\operatorname {arcsl} (r)={\frac {1}{\sqrt {1-r^{4}}}}}

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Legendre's relation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Legendre's relation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Legendre's relation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Legendre's relation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Legendre's relation

In research
Legendre's relation appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Legendre's relation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Legendre's relation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Elliptic functions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Legendre's relation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Legendre's relation in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Legendre's relation means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Legendre's relation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Legendre's relation in simple terms?

In mathematics, Legendre's relation can be expressed in either of two forms: as a relation between complete elliptic integrals, or as a relation between periods and quasiperiods of elliptic functions. The two forms are equivalent as the periods and quasiperiods can be expressed in terms of complete…

Why does Legendre's relation matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Legendre's relation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Legendre's relation.

Tags

  • Elliptic functions

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