\(q\)-analogues of Freud weights and nonlinear difference equations (Q1958942)

The authors study the monic polynomials orthogonal on the line w.r.t.\ the weight \(w_m(x;q)=C_m\prod_{n=0}^{\infty}(1+a(1-q)q^{2mn+2m-1}x^{2m})^{-1}\) which can be understood as the \(q\)-analog of the Freud weight, \(w_m(x)=\exp(-ax^{2m}/2m)\), appearing in the limit \(q\to1^-\). They first derive the \(q\)-analog of the famous Freud equation which is the nonlinear recurrence relation for the only nontrivial coefficient \(\beta_n\) in the three term recurrence relation. Using classical means, the upper and lower bounds, \(K_{2,m} q^{-2n/m}\leq\beta_n\leq K_{1,m} q^{-2n/m}\), are proven to exist, and, under assumption of existence of the limit \(\beta_{n+1}/\beta_n\) as \(n\to\infty\), the \(n\)-large asymptotics of \(\beta_n\) is computed. Using this asymptotics of \(\beta_n\) in the three term recurrence relation, the authors obtain the \(n\)-large asymptotics of zeros of the \(q\)-orthogonal polynomials. Additionally, the authors prove that, in the case \(m=2\), the \(q\)-Freud equation enjoys the singularity confinement property (the `discrete Painlevé property'). Finally, they discuss some problems not directly related to the previous topics. These are conditions of existence of periodic solutions to some particular difference equations, nonlinear recurrences in the case of the weight \(w(x,a,b;q)\) which is the \(q\)-analog of the weight \(w(x,a,b)=\exp(-ax^2/2-bx^4/4)\), and a positive solution to the Bernstein approximation problem associated to the weights \(w_m(x;q)\).