AiryAi[z]
gives the Airy function
.
AiryAi
AiryAi[z]
gives the Airy function
.
Details
- Mathematical function, suitable for both symbolic and numerical manipulation.
- The Airy function
is a solution to the differential equation
.
tends to zero as
. - AiryAi[z] is an entire function of z with no branch cut discontinuities.
- For certain special arguments, AiryAi automatically evaluates to exact values.
- AiryAi can be evaluated to arbitrary numerical precision.
- AiryAi automatically threads over lists.
- AiryAi can be used with Interval and CenteredInterval objects. »
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (5)
AiryAi[1.8]Plot over a subset of the reals:
Plot[AiryAi[x], {x, -10, 10}]Plot over a subset of the complexes:
ComplexPlot3D[AiryAi[z], {z, -2 - 2I, 2 + 2I}, PlotLegends -> Automatic]Series expansion at the origin:
Series[AiryAi[x], {x, 0, 4}]Series expansion at Infinity:
Series[AiryAi[x], {x, ∞, 2}]//NormalScope (42)
Numerical Evaluation (5)
Evaluate numerically to high precision:
N[AiryAi[2], 50]The precision of the output tracks the precision of the input:
AiryAi[2.00000000000000000000000]Evaluate for complex arguments:
AiryAi[2.5 + I]Evaluate AiryAi efficiently at high precision:
AiryAi[0.5`500]//TimingAiryAi[0.5`5000];//TimingCompute worst-case guaranteed intervals using Interval and CenteredInterval objects:
AiryAi[Interval[{1.9, 2}]]AiryAi[CenteredInterval[2, 0.1]]Or compute average-case statistical intervals using Around:
AiryAi[ Around[2, 0.01]]Compute the elementwise values of an array:
AiryAi[{{-1.2, 0}, {0, 1.}}]Or compute the matrix AiryAi function using MatrixFunction:
MatrixFunction[AiryAi, {{-1.2, 0}, {0, 1.}}]Specific Values (4)
Simple exact values are generated automatically:
AiryAi[0]{Limit[AiryAi[x], x -> Infinity], Limit[AiryAi[x], x -> -Infinity]}{AiryAiZero[1], AiryAiZero[2], AiryAiZero[3]}//NFind a zero of AiryAi using Solve:
xzero = Solve[AiryAi[x] == 0 && -4 < x < -2, x][[1, 1, 2]]Plot[AiryAi[x], {x, -5, 3}, Epilog -> Style[Point[{xzero, AiryAi[xzero]}], PointSize[Large], Red]]Visualization (2)
Plot the AiryAi function:
Plot[AiryAi[x], {x, -7, 3}]ComplexContourPlot[Re[AiryAi[z]], {z, -4 - 4I, 4 + 4I}, Contours -> 20]ComplexContourPlot[Im[AiryAi[z]], {z, -4 - 4I, 4 + 4I}, Contours -> 20]Function Properties (9)
AiryAi is defined for all real and complex values:
FunctionDomain[AiryAi[x], x]FunctionDomain[AiryAi[z], z, Complexes]Approximate function range of AiryAi:
FunctionRange[AiryAi[x], x, y]//NAiryAi is an analytic function of x:
FunctionAnalytic[AiryAi[x], x]AiryAi is neither non-increasing nor non-decreasing:
FunctionMonotonicity[AiryAi[x], x]AiryAi is not injective:
FunctionInjective[AiryAi[x], x]Plot[{AiryAi[x], .3}, {x, -10, 5}]AiryAi is not surjective:
FunctionSurjective[AiryAi[x], x]Plot[{AiryAi[x], 1}, {x, -20, 20}]AiryAi is neither non-negative nor non-positive:
FunctionSign[AiryAi[x], x]AiryAi has no singularities or discontinuities:
FunctionSingularities[AiryAi[x], x]FunctionDiscontinuities[AiryAi[x], x]AiryAi is neither convex nor concave:
FunctionConvexity[AiryAi[x], x]Differentiation (3)
D[AiryAi[x], x]Table[D[AiryAi[x], {x, n}], {n, 1, 4}]Plot[Evaluate[%], {x, -1, 1}, PlotLegends -> {"First Derivative", "Second Derivative", "Third Derivative", "Fourth Derivative"}]D[AiryAi[x], {x, n}]Integration (3)
Indefinite integral of AiryAi:
Integrate[AiryAi[x], x]//FullSimplifyFullSimplify[D[%, x]]Definite integral of AiryAi:
Integrate[AiryAi[x], {x, -Infinity, 0}]∫ z^αAiryAi[z]^2ⅆz//TraditionalForm∫z^2 AiryAi[z] AiryBi[z]ⅆz//FullSimplify//TraditionalFormSeries Expansions (5)
Taylor expansion for AiryAi:
Series[AiryAi[x], {x, 0, 7}]Plot the first three approximations for AiryAi around
:
terms = Normal@Table[Series[AiryAi[x], {x, 0, m}], {m, 1, 5, 2}];
Plot[{AiryAi[x], terms}, {x, -2, 2}]General term in the series expansion of AiryAi:
SeriesCoefficient[AiryAi[x], {x, 0, n}]Find the series expansion at infinity:
Series[AiryAi[x], {x, Infinity, 3}]Find the series expansion at infinity for an arbitrary symbolic direction
:
Series[AiryAi[x], {x, DirectedInfinity[z], 1}, Assumptions -> x > 0]AiryAi can be applied to power series:
AiryAi[x + (x^2/2) + (x^3/9) + O[x]^4]Integral Transforms (3)
Compute the Fourier transform using FourierTransform:
FourierTransform[AiryAi[t], t, ω]MellinTransform[AiryAi[x], x, s]HankelTransform[AiryAi[r], r, s ]Function Identities and Simplifications (3)
Simplify the expression to AiryAi:
(Hypergeometric0F1[(2/3), (z^3/9)]/3^2 / 3 Gamma[(2/3)]) - (z Hypergeometric0F1[(4/3), (z^3/9)]/3^1 / 3 Gamma[(1/3)])//FullSimplifyFunctionExpand tries to simplify the argument of AiryAi:
FunctionExpand[AiryAi[z E^(2 π I/3)]]//SimplifyFunctionExpand[AiryAi[(z^3)^1 / 3]]AiryAi[z] + E^(2 π I/3) AiryAi[z E^(2 π I/3)] + E^-(2 π I/3) AiryAi[z E^-(2 π I/3)]//FullSimplifyFunction Representations (5)
Integral representation for real argument:
(1/π)Integrate[Cos[t ^ 3 / 3 + x t], {t, 0, Infinity}, Assumptions -> x∈Reals]Relationship to Bessel functions:
AiryAi[z] == (1/3) ((z^3 / 2)^1 / 3 BesselI[-(1/3), (2 z^3 / 2/3)] - z (z^3 / 2)^-(1/3) BesselI[(1/3), (2 z^3 / 2/3)])//FullSimplifyAiryAi can be represented as a DifferentialRoot:
DifferentialRootReduce[AiryAi[x], x]AiryAi can be represented in terms of MeijerG:
MeijerGReduce[AiryAi[x], x]Activate[%]//FullSimplifyTraditionalForm formatting:
AiryAi[z]//TraditionalFormApplications (4)
Solve the Schrödinger equation in a linear potential (e.g. uniform electric field):
DSolve[-ψ''[x] + x ψ[x] == ε ψ[x], ψ[x], x]Plot the absolute value in the complex plane:
Plot3D[Abs[AiryAi[x + I y]], {x, -5, 5}, {y, -1, 1}]Nested integrals of the square of AiryAi:
NestList[Integrate[#, z]&, AiryAi[z] ^ 2, 4]//Simplify//TraditionalFormCompute the probability density of Map–Airy distribution [MathWorld] in closed form, represented with AiryAi and AiryAiPrime functions:
pdf = PDF[StableDistribution[1, 3 / 2, -1, 0, 18^-1 / 3], x]//SimplifyPlot[pdf, {x, -5, 5}, PlotRange -> All, Filling -> Axis]Find the location of the mode:
FindMaximum[pdf, x]Properties & Relations (8)
Use FullSimplify to simplify expressions involving Airy functions:
Det[Outer[D[#1, {x, #2}]&, {AiryAi[x], AiryBi[x]}, {0, 1}]]FullSimplify[%]Compare with the output of Wronskian:
Wronskian[{AiryAi[x], AiryBi[x]}, x]FunctionExpand tries to simplify the argument of AiryAi:
FunctionExpand[AiryAi[z E^(2 π I/3)]]//SimplifySolve the Airy differential equation:
DSolve[w''[z] == z w[z], w[z], z]DSolve[w'''[z] - 4z w'[z] - 2w[z] == 0, w[z], z]FindRoot[AiryAi[z] == 0, {z, -2}]Compare with built-in function AiryAiZero:
AiryAiZero[1]//N∫ AiryAi[z]ⅆz//FunctionExpand//TraditionalFormFullSimplify[D[%, z]]FourierTransform[AiryAi[t], t, s]AiryAi can be represented as a DifferentialRoot:
DifferentialRootReduce[AiryAi[x], x]AiryAi can be represented in terms of MeijerG:
MeijerGReduce[AiryAi[x], x]Activate[%]//FullSimplifyPossible Issues (5)
Machine-precision input is insufficient to get a correct answer:
AiryAi[-10. ^ 12]Use arbitrary-precision evaluation instead:
N[AiryAi[-10 ^ 12 ], 10]A larger setting for $MaxExtraPrecision can be needed:
N[AiryAi[-10 ^ 100], 20]Block[{$MaxExtraPrecision = 200}, N[AiryAi[-10 ^ 100], 20]]Machine-number inputs can give high‐precision results:
AiryAi[150.I]MachineNumberQ[%]Simplifications sometimes hold only in parts of the complex plane:
FullSimplify[(Sqrt[(z/3)] BesselK[(1/3), (2 z^3 / 2/3)]/π) , z > 0]{(Sqrt[(z/3)] BesselK[(1/3), (2 z^3 / 2/3)]/π), AiryAi[z]} /. z -> -2.Parentheses are required when inputting in the traditional form:
Ai xAi(x)Neat Examples (1)
Play a vibrato sound made from a linear combination of AiryAi functions:
Play[Clip[AiryAi[300 (t - 1)] + AiryAi[298 (t - 1)], {-1, 1}], {t, 0, 1}, PlayRange -> {-0.5, 0.5}]See Also
Tech Notes
Related Guides
Related Links
History
Introduced in 1988 (1.0) | Updated in 2021 (13.0) ▪ 2022 (13.1)
Text
Wolfram Research (1988), AiryAi, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AiryAi.html (updated 2022).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1988. "AiryAi." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2022. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AiryAi.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1988). AiryAi. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AiryAi.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_airyai, author="Wolfram Research", title="{AiryAi}", year="2022", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AiryAi.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2026_airyai, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={AiryAi}, year={2022}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AiryAi.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}