BesselI[n,z]
gives the modified Bessel function of the first kind
.
BesselI
BesselI[n,z]
gives the modified Bessel function of the first kind
.
Details
- Mathematical function, suitable for both symbolic and numerical manipulation.
satisfies the differential equation
. - BesselI[n,z] has a branch cut discontinuity in the complex z plane running from
to
. - FullSimplify and FunctionExpand include transformation rules for BesselI.
- For certain special arguments, BesselI automatically evaluates to exact values.
- BesselI can be evaluated to arbitrary numerical precision.
- BesselI automatically threads over lists.
- BesselI can be used with Interval and CenteredInterval objects. »
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (5)
BesselI[0, 2.0]Plot
over a subset of the reals:
Plot[ BesselI[0, x], {x, -3, 3}]Plot over a subset of the complexes:
ComplexPlot3D[BesselI[1 / 2, z], {z, -2 - 2I, 2 + 2I}, PlotLegends -> Automatic]Series expansion at the origin:
Series[BesselI[0, x], {x, 0, 10}]Series expansion at Infinity:
Series[BesselI[0, x], {x, ∞, 2}]//NormalScope (50)
Numerical Evaluation (6)
BesselI[0, 1.0]N[BesselI[0, 1], 50]The precision of the output tracks the precision of the input:
BesselI[0, 1.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000]Evaluate for complex arguments and parameters:
BesselI[3 + I, 1.5 - I]Evaluate BesselI efficiently at high precision:
BesselI[0, 1`500]//TimingBesselI[0, 1`50000];//TimingCompute worst-case guaranteed intervals using Interval and CenteredInterval objects:
BesselI[1 / 2, Interval[{2.1, 2.2}]]BesselI[1 / 2, CenteredInterval[2, 1 / 100]]Or compute average-case statistical intervals using Around:
BesselI[2, Around[2, 0.01]]Compute the elementwise values of an array:
BesselI[0.5, {{1, 2}, {3, 4}}]Or compute the matrix BesselI function using MatrixFunction:
MatrixFunction[BesselI[0.5, #]&, {{1, 2}, {3, 4}}]Specific Values (4)
Value of BesselI for integer (
) and half-integer (
) orders at
:
{BesselI[0, 0], BesselI[1 / 2, 0]}For half-integer orders, BesselI evaluates to elementary functions:
Table[BesselI[(2n + 1) / 2, x], {n, 0, 2}]Limit[BesselI[n, x], x -> Infinity]Limit[BesselI[n, x], x -> I Infinity]Find the positive value of
satisfying equation
:
sol = Solve[BesselI[0, x] == 2 && x > 0, x]//Quietxzero = x /. First[sol];
Plot[BesselI[0, x], {x, 0, 2}, Epilog -> Style[Point[{xzero, BesselI[0, xzero]}], Red, PointSize[Large]]]Visualization (4)
Plot the BesselI function for integer (
,
) and half-integer (
) orders:
Plot[{BesselI[0, x], BesselI[1 / 2, x], BesselI[1, x]}, {x, -2, 2}]Plot the real and imaginary parts of the BesselI function for half integer orders:
ReImPlot[{BesselI[1 / 2, x], BesselI[3 / 2, x]}, {x, -3, 3}]ComplexContourPlot[Re[BesselI[0, z]], {z, -4 - 4I, 4 + 4I}, IconizedObject[«PlotOptions»]]ComplexContourPlot[Im[BesselI[0, z]], {z, -4 - 4I, 4 + 4I}, IconizedObject[«PlotOptions»]]ComplexContourPlot[Re[BesselI[-1 / 2, z]], {z, -4 - 4I, 4 + 4I}, ...]ComplexContourPlot[Im[BesselI[-1 / 2, z]], {z, -4 - 4I, 4 + 4I}, ...]Function Properties (12)
is defined for all real and complex values:
FunctionDomain[BesselI[0, x], x]FunctionDomain[BesselI[0, z], z, Complexes]
is defined and real for all real values greater than 0:
FunctionDomain[BesselI[1 / 2, x], x]Complex domain is the whole plane except
:
FunctionDomain[BesselI[1 / 2, z], z, Complexes]
achieves all real values greater than 1:
FunctionRange[BesselI[0, x], x, y]//Quiet
achieves all real positive values:
FunctionRange[BesselI[1 / 2, x], x, y]For integer
,
is an even or odd function in
depending on whether
is even or odd:
BesselI[0, -z]BesselI[1, -z]FullSimplify[BesselI[n, z] == (-1)^n BesselI[n, -z], n∈ℤ]
is an analytic function of
for integer
:
Table[FunctionAnalytic[BesselI[n, z], z], {n, -2, 2}]It is not analytic for noninteger orders:
Table[FunctionAnalytic[BesselI[n, z], z], {n, -(3/2), (3/2)}]BesselI is non-decreasing for odd values of n:
Table[FunctionMonotonicity[BesselI[n, x], x], {n, 5}]
is not injective for even values of
:
Table[FunctionInjective[BesselI[n, x], x], {n, -4, 4, 2}]It is injective for other values of
:
Table[FunctionInjective[BesselI[n, x], x], {n, {1 / 2, 1, Sqrt[2]}}]Plot[{BesselI[1, x], BesselI[2, x], BesselI[3, x], BesselI[4.25, x], 2}, {x, -5, 5}]
is surjective for odd values of
:
Table[FunctionSurjective[BesselI[n, x], x], {n, -3, 3, 2}]It is not surjective for other values of
:
Table[FunctionSurjective[BesselI[n, x], x], {n, {1 / 2, Sqrt[2], 2}}]Plot[{BesselI[1, x], BesselI[2, x], BesselI[3, x], BesselI[4.25, x], -2}, {x, -5, 5}]
is non-negative for even values of n:
Table[FunctionSign[BesselI[a, x], x], {a, 4}]
is singular for
, possibly including
, when
is noninteger:
FunctionSingularities[BesselI[n, z], z]//SimplifyThe same is true of its discontinuities:
FunctionDiscontinuities[BesselI[n, z], z]//SimplifyBesselI is convex for even values of n:
Table[FunctionConvexity[BesselI[a, x], x], {a, 5}]TraditionalForm formatting:
BesselI[n, r]//TraditionalFormDifferentiation (3)
D[BesselI[n, x], x]derivs = Table[D[BesselI[n, x], {x, k}], {k, 1, 4}]//FullSimplifyPlot higher derivatives for integer and half-integer orders:
Plot[Evaluate[derivs /. n -> 0], {x, -2, 2}, PlotLegends -> {"First Derivative", "Second Derivative", "Third Derivative", "Fourth Derivative"}]Plot[Evaluate[derivs /. n -> (1/2)], {x, 0, 2}, PlotLegends -> {"First Derivative", "Second Derivative", "Third Derivative", "Fourth Derivative"}]D[BesselI[n, x], {x, j}]Integration (4)
Indefinite integral of BesselI:
Integrate[BesselI[n, x], x]Integrate expressions involving BesselI:
Integrate[x BesselI[0, x], x]Definite integral of an odd integrand
over an interval centered at the origin is 0:
Integrate[BesselI[1, x], {x, -1, 1}]Definite integral of an even integrand over an interval centered at the origin:
Integrate[BesselI[0, x], {x, -1, 1}]This is twice the integral over half the interval:
2 Integrate[BesselI[0, x], {x, 0, 1}]Series Expansions (6)
Series[BesselI[0, x], {x, 0, 7}]Plot the first three approximations for
around
:
terms = Normal@Table[Series[BesselI[0, x], {x, 0, m}], {m, 2, 7, 2}];
Plot[{BesselI[0, x], terms}, {x, -6, 6}, PlotRange -> {1, 30}]General term in the series expansion of BesselI:
SeriesCoefficient[BesselI[0, x], {x, 0, n}]Series[BesselI[1 / 2, x], {x, 0, 7}]Plot the first three approximations for
around
:
terms = Normal@Table[Series[BesselI[1 / 2, x], {x, 0, m}], {m, 2, 7, 2}];
Plot[{BesselI[1 / 2, x], terms}, {x, 0, 3}]Asymptotic approximation of BesselI:
Series[BesselI[n, x], {x, ∞, 2}]//NormalTaylor expansion at a generic point:
Series[BesselI[n, x], {x, x0, 2}]// FullSimplifyBesselI can be applied to a power series:
BesselI[1, Log[1 + x] + O[x] ^ 5]Integral Transforms (3)
Compute the Laplace transform using LaplaceTransform:
LaplaceTransform[BesselI[n, t], t, s]HankelTransform[BesselI[n, r], r, s ]InverseMellinTransform[Sqrt[s] BesselI[(m/2), (s/2)] BesselK[(m/2) + (1/2), (s/2)], s, x]Function Identities and Simplifications (3)
Use FullSimplify to simplify expressions with BesselI:
FullSimplify[ x BesselI[3, x] - x BesselI[1, x]]FullSimplify[z (BesselI[n - 1, z] - BesselI[n + 1, z]) == 2n BesselI[n, z]]BesselI[1 + n, z] BesselI[-n, z] - BesselI[n, z] BesselI[-1 - n, z] == (2 Sin[n π]/π z)//FullSimplifyFunction Representations (5)
Representation through BesselJ:
FullSimplify[(z^n/(I z)^n)BesselJ[n, I z]]Series representation of BesselI:
Sum[((x/2)) ^ (2k) / k! ^ 2, {k, 0, Infinity}](1/π)Subsuperscript[∫, 0, π]E^z Cos[t]ⅆtBesselI can be represented in terms of MeijerG:
MeijerGReduce[BesselI[n, x], x]Activate[%]BesselI can be represented as a DifferenceRoot:
DifferenceRootReduce[BesselI[n, z], n]Applications (2)
Inductance of a solenoid of radius r and length a with fixed numbers of turns per unit length:
2r ^ 2 a Integrate[Sinc[x / 2] ^ 2BesselI[1, x r / a]
BesselK[1, x r / a], {x, 0, Infinity}, Assumptions -> r > 0 && a > 0]Inductance per unit length of the infinite solenoid:
Limit[% / a, a -> Infinity]3D relativistic, non-Markovian transition PDF that has the Gaussian non-relativistic limit:
p[t_, x_, y_, z_] := 𝒩 HeavisideTheta[t - Sqrt[x ^ 2 + y ^ 2 + z ^ 2]] Exp[Sqrt[t ^ 2 - x ^ 2 - y ^ 2 - z ^ 2] / (2 σ)]Its normalization
is computed after a change of variables
contains BesselI:
4 π 𝒩 t^3 Integrate[Cos[ϕ]Sin[ϕ]^2Exp[(t/2σ)Cos[ϕ]], {ϕ, 0, π / 2}]//FunctionExpand//SimplifyProperties & Relations (4)
Use FullSimplify to simplify expressions with BesselI:
FullSimplify[ x BesselI[3, x] - x BesselI[1, x]]Find limits of expressions involving BesselI:
Limit[BesselI[1, 3x] / (x BesselI[1, x] ^ 3), x -> Infinity]Series representation of BesselI:
Sum[x ^ n / n! ^ 2, {n, 0, Infinity}]The exponential generating function for BesselI:
ExponentialGeneratingFunction[BesselI[n, k], n, x]Possible Issues (1)
With numeric arguments, half-integer Bessel functions are not automatically evaluated:
BesselI[11 / 2, 1]For symbolic arguments they are:
BesselI[11 / 2, x]This can lead to major inaccuracies in machine-precision evaluation:
{BesselI[31 / 2, -1.], BesselI[31 / 2, x] /. x -> -1.}Tech Notes
Related Guides
Related Links
History
Introduced in 1988 (1.0) | Updated in 1999 (4.0) ▪ 2000 (4.1) ▪ 2002 (4.2) ▪ 2021 (13.0) ▪ 2022 (13.1)
Text
Wolfram Research (1988), BesselI, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BesselI.html (updated 2022).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1988. "BesselI." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2022. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BesselI.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1988). BesselI. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BesselI.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_besseli, author="Wolfram Research", title="{BesselI}", year="2022", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BesselI.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2026_besseli, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={BesselI}, year={2022}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BesselI.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}