Bounded \(K\)-spherical functions on Heisenberg groups (Q1188001)

This paper is a continuation of the authors' previous one [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 321, 85-116 (1990; Zbl 0704.22006)]. They study the Gelfand pair \((K,G)\); namely \(G\) is a Lie group and \(K\) is a compact subgroup of \(\Aut(G)\) such that the convolution algebra \(L^ 1_ K(G)\) of \(K\)- invariant \(L^ 1\)-functions on \(G\) is commutative. Especially they explain in detail the case where \(G\) is a Heisenberg group \(H_ n=\mathbb{C}^ n\times\mathbb{R}\). Let \((K,N)\) be a Gelfand pair with \(N\) nilpotent. Let \({\mathcal U}_ K({\mathfrak n})\) the set of \(K\)-invariant elements of the enveloping algebra \({\mathcal U}({\mathfrak n)}\) of the Lie algebra of \(N\). Then a smooth \(K\)-invariant function \(\phi: N\to\mathbb{C}\) is \(K\)-spherical if \(\phi(e)=1\) and i0 \(\phi\) is a joint eigenfunction for all elements of \({\mathcal U}_ K({\mathfrak n)}\). Using a representation theoretic characterization of Gelfand pairs [cf. \textit{G. Carcano}, Boll. Unione Mat. Ital., VII. Ser. B 1, 1091-1105 (1987; Zbl 0632.22005)], the Fock realization of irreducible unitary representations of \(H_ n\) and some invariant theory, the authors compute the bounded \(K\)-spherical functions for \((K,H_ n)\). They prove Rodrigues' formula for some invariant polynomial. When the \(K\)-action is polar [cf. \textit{J. Dadok}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 288, 125-137 (1985; Zbl 0565.22010)], the analysis is reduced to radial directions and they show certain relations for Laguerre polynomials.