A note on the Geronimus transformation and Sobolev orthogonal polynomials (Q466853)

Given a sequence of monic polynomials \(\{P_{n}(t)\}_{n \geq 0}\) orthogonal with respect to a nontrivial probability measure supported on an infinite subset of the real line, the Geronimus transformation, revisited in this note, allows the definition of a new monic orthogonal polynomial sequence \(\{P^{\ast}_{n}(t)\}_{n \geq 0}\) by means of a certain sequence of real numbers \(\{A_{n}\}_{n \geq 1}\), with \(A_{n} \neq 0\), such that \[ P^{\ast}_{n}(t) = P_{n}(t) +A_{n}P_{n-1}(t), \quad n=1,2,\dots. \] After providing the reader with a wide amount of introductory elements - where, for instance, this transformation is debated within the set of discrete Darboux transformations, and two or more iterations and inverse problems are discussed -- the authors define the Geronimus transformation as a symmetric bilinear form \(\left[ \cdot,\cdot \right]_{1}\), defined on the set of real polynomials, and review some results of [\textit{J. Geronimus}, Commun. Inst. Sci. Math. et Mecan., Univ. Kharkoff et Soc. Math. Kharkoff, IV. Ser. 17, 3--17 (1940; Zbl 0024.39401)]. Assuming that \(\left[ \cdot,\cdot \right]_{1}\) is definite-positive, also a Cholesky factorization is analysed of the monic tridiagonal Jacobi matrix associated with the monic orthogonal polynomials \(\{P^{\ast}_{n}(t)\}_{n \geq 0}\) orthogonal with respect to \(\left[ \cdot , \cdot \right]_{1}\). The numerical sequences which define the algebraic relations between the sequences \(\{P_{n}(t)\}_{n \geq 0}\) and \(\{P^{\ast}_{n}(t)\}_{n \geq 0}\), are put in a suitable matrix environment, so that new expressions for the (monic) tridiagonal Jacobi matrices of both polynomial sequences are proved. The second part of this work treats the double Geronimus transformation, also seen as a symmetric bilinear form \(\left[ \cdot , \cdot \right]_{2}\), defined on the linear space of polynomials with real coefficients. In particular, it is clarified by the authors ``that, in general, the double Geronimus transformation \(\left[ \cdot , \cdot \right]_{2}\) generates Sobolev type inner products''. Following the structure of results previously examined for the (simple) Geronimus transformation, an explicit formula is given for the sequence \(\{P^{\ast\ast}_{n}(t)\}_{n \geq 0}\) orthogonal with respect to the form \(\left[ \cdot , \cdot \right]_{2}\) in terms of the initial polynomial sequence \(\{P_{n}(t)\}_{n \geq 0}\). Supposing that \(\left[ \cdot , \cdot \right]_{2}\) is positive-definite, matrix identities are proved concerning a pentadiagonal matrix defined by \(\{P^{\ast\ast}_{n}(t)\}_{n \geq 0}\) and the square of the (monic) tridiagonal Jacobi matrix of \(\{P_{n}(t)\}_{n \geq 0}\).