On the factorization of a class of wiener-hopf kernels

The Wiener-Hopf technique is a powerful aid for solving a wide range of problems in mathematical physics. The key step in its application is the factorization of the Wiener-Hopf kernel into the product of two functions which have different regions of analyticity. The traditional approach to obtaining these factors gives formulae which are not particularly easy to compute. In this paper a novel approach is used to derive an elegant form for the product factors of a specific class of Wiener-Hopf kernels. The method utilizes the known solution to a difference equation and the main advantage of this approach is that, without recourse to the Cauchy integral, the product factors are expressed in terms of simple, finite-range integrals which are easy to compute. © 1995 Oxford University Press.