Contiguous relations, basic hypergeometric functions, and orthogonal polynomials. I (Q1823356)

Already long ago, Gauss and Heine used contiguous relations for the hypergeometric and basic hypergeometric function to derive a continued fraction expansion (J-fraction) for the quotient of two functions of the kind considered. Through the connection with orthogonal polynomials (the denominators of the convergents) one is able to evaluate the underlying measure of orthogonality using asymptotic properties of the convergents. In this paper the authors use ideas of Gauss and Heine instead to find the measure; they find interesting results concerning quotients of \({}_ 2\phi_ 1\), \({}_ 3\phi_ 2\) and \({}_ 4\phi_ 3\) functions. Only those connected with the \({}_ 2\phi_ 1\) are treated in the paper under review. Their results include known J-fractions and measures (a.o. Al-Salam and Carlitz, Al-Salam and Chihara, associated q-ultraspherical, associated q-Pollaczek polynomials) and two new cases connected with two different types of associated big q-Laguerre polynomials (connected with birth- and death-processes). Moreover a generating function for the associated big q-Laguerre and asssociated q-Pollaczek polynomials is given. The paper is indispensible for people working on orthogonal polynomials.