Coalgebraic foundations of the method of divided differences (Q1190229)

The umbral calculus of S. M. Roman, G.-C. Rota, et al., is based on the coalgebra (bialgebra) structure of \(k[x]\) with \(x\) primitive, and studies polynomial sequences \(\{p_ n(x)\}\) of binomial type, i.e., \(p_ n(x+y)= \sum^ n_{k=0} {n\choose k} p_ k(x) p_{n-k}(y)\). The authors develop an umbral calculus based on the coalgebra \(P= k[x]\) (\(k\) a field of characteristic zero), where \(\Delta x^ n={x^ n\otimes 1- 1\otimes x^ n\over x\otimes 1-1\otimes x^ n}= \sum^{n-1}_{i=0} x^ i\otimes x^{n-1-i}\). Here the polynomial sequences \(\{p_ n(x)\}\) of interest are of Newtonian type, i.e., \(p_ n(x)- p_ n(y)= (x- y)\sum^{n-1}_{j=0} p_ j(x)p_{n-j-1}(y)\). The iterates of \(\Delta\) involve classical divided differences. Among the topics studied are the dual algebra \(P^*\), and its subalgebra \(E\) generated by the linear functionals evaluating a polynomial at a fixed point of \(k\), the relation of \(P^*\) to the formal power series algebra, polynomial interpolation, the coalgebra automorphisms of \(P\) and the (continuous) algebra automorphisms of \(P^*\), Lagrange interpolation, the classification of sequences of Newtonian type, Lagrange inversion and Sheffer sequences. Both sequences of Newtonian type and Sheffer sequences are characterized by their generating functions.