Quadratic decomposition of Laguerre polynomials via lowering operators (Q2275485)

The concept of an \textit{Appell polynomial sequence} (i.e., a monic polynomial sequence---MPS for short---\(\{B_n\}_{n \geq 0}\), \(\deg B_n=n\) with \(B_n(\cdot)=B'_{n+1}(\cdot)_,\,n\geq 0\) [\textit{P. Appell}, ``Sur une classe de polynômes'', Ann. Sci. de l'Éc. N. (2) IX. 119--144 (1880; JFM 12.0342.02)] has been studied extensively over the last 35 years, along with several generalizations. The list of references of the paper gives a good first introduction into the many existing publications. In the paper under review, the concept is extended in the direction of a general \textit{lowering operator}: a linear mapping \(\mathcal O\) on the vector space of all polynomials with complex coefficients that mimics the differential operator, i.e., \({\mathcal O}(1)=0,\text{ and deg}\,({\mathcal O}(x^n))=n-1,\,n\geq 1\). An MPS \(\{B_n\}_{n\geq 0}\) is called \(\mathcal O\)-Appell sequence w.r.t. a lowering operator \(\mathcal O\) if \(B_n(\cdot) = B_n^ {[1]}(\cdot,{\mathcal O})\) for \(n\geq 0\) with \[ B_n^{[1]}(x)=\rho_n({\mathcal O}B_{n+1})(x), \] where \(\rho_n\in\mathbb{C}\setminus\{0\},\,n\geq 0\), is chosen to make the resulting polynomial monic. The next concept needed is the \textit{quadratic decomposition} of an MPS: two MPS's \(\{P_n\},\{R_n\}\) and two sequences of polynomials \(\{A_n\},\{B_n\}\) such that \[ B_{2n}(x)=P_n(x^2)+xA_{n-1}(x^2),\;B_{2n+1}(x)=B_n(x^2)+xR_n(x^2),\;n\geq 0, \] where \(0\leq\text{deg}\,A_n,\text{deg}\,B_n\leq n,\,n\geq 0\), and \(A_{-1}(\cdot)=0\). The main results of the paper are concerned with the quadratic decomposition of \({\mathcal F}_{\varepsilon}\)- and \({\mathcal G}_{\varepsilon,\mu}\)-Appell sequences, where the lowering operators are given by \[ {\mathcal F}_{\varepsilon}:=2DxD+\varepsilon D\;(\varepsilon=\pm 1,\;D={\text{d}\over\text{dx}}), \] \[ {\mathcal G}_{\varepsilon,\mu}:=(4DxD+\varepsilon D)\left\{8(xD)^2+2\varepsilon xD+2\mathbf{I}+\mu (8xD+\varepsilon \text\textbf{I})\right\}, \] and are given `globally' below (for details one has to read the paper): 1. Explicit forms for the quadratic decomposition of \({\mathcal F}_{\varepsilon}\)-Appell sequences: the MPS's \(P_n,\,R_n\) are a \({\mathcal G}_{\varepsilon,1}\)- resp. \({\mathcal G}_{\varepsilon,-1}\)-Appell sequence, and for \(A_n,\,B_n\) the same holds after ``monification''. 2. An MPS is \({\mathcal G}_{\varepsilon,\mu}\)-Appell if and only if its dual sequence \(\{u_n\}_{n\geq 0}\) (duality of `forms' on the vector space of all polynomials) satisfies \[ u_n={1\over \alpha_n}\,{\mathcal G}^n_{-\varepsilon,-\mu}(u_0),\;n\geq 0, \] where \(\alpha_n\) is an explicitly given normalizing constant. 3. There is no regular orthogonal polynomials sequence being at the same time \({\mathcal G}_{\varepsilon,\mu}\)-Appell. Moreover, the quadratic decomposition of a Laguerre sequence \(\{B_n\}\) of parameter \(\varepsilon/2\) (\(\varepsilon\not= -2(n+1),\;n\geq 0\)) is given explicitly, exhibiting the Genocchi-numbers.