Computation of Stokes multipliers by boundary-value methods

Prof. Frank W.J. Olver

Institute for Physical Science and Technology and Department of Mathematics University of Maryland

Stokes multipliers are the coefficients in the connection formulas for asymptotic solutions of ordinary differential equations in the neighborhood of an irregular singularity. The evaluation of these coefficients is a long-standing problem, going back to G.D. Birkhoff. This talk begins by outlining recent developments in the general asymptotic theory of linear differential equations, and then introduces powerful numerical methods for computing the Stokes multipliers.