Second order \(q\)-difference equations solvable by factorization method (Q2493937): Difference between revisions

The factorization method to solve ordinary differential equations due to Darboux has many applications to orthogonal polynomials and quantum mechanics. The authors propose an extension to \(q\)-difference equations. It is a \(q\)-analogue, since, in the continuous limit \(q \to 1\), it boils down to the classical factorization method (at least in the usual intuitive description of ``continuous limit''). The paper contains the proof in a particular important case (indeed, a generalisation of a famous study by \textit{L. Infeld} and \textit{T. E. Hull}, Rev. Mod. Phys. 23, 21--68 (1951; Zbl 0043.38602) that the \(q\)-Hahn orthogonal polynomials are among the solutions. They also consider other interesting examples.