Discriminants and functions of the second kind of orthogonal polynomials (Q1266941)

The discriminant of a polynomial \(f_n(x)=\gamma x^n+\) lower order terms, \(\gamma\not=0\), is defined by \[ D_n=\gamma^{2n-2}\prod_{1\leq j\leq k\leq n} (x_{jn}-x_{kn})^2, \] where \(x_{1n}, x_{2n},\ldots, x_{nn}\) are the zeros of \(f_n\). Alternatively \[ D_n=(-1)^{n(n-1)/2}\gamma^{2n-2}\prod_{j=1}^n f'(x_{jn}). \] Let now \(\{p_n(x)\}\) be orthonormal with respect to \(w(x)=\exp{\{-v(x)\}}\), supported on an interval \((a,b)\), finite or infinite. The well-known three term recurrence relation and initial values generating these polynomials are given by \[ p_0(x)=1, p_1(x)=(x-b_0)/a_1;\;xp_n(x)=a_{n+1}p_{n+1}(x)+b_n p_n(x)+a_np_{n-1}(x)\quad (n>0). \] The main result in the paper (notwithstanding the importance of subsequent sections) can be found in section 2: \textbf{A.} For orthonormal sequences one has \[ D_n=\left(\prod_{j=1}^n {A_n(x_{jn})\over a_n}\right) \left(\prod_{k=1}^n a_k^{2k-2n+2}\right) \] with \[ A_n(x)={a_nw(b^-)p_n^2(b)\over b-x}+{a_nw(a^+)p_n^2(a) \over x-a} +a_n\int_a^b {v'(x)-v'(y) \over x-y}p_n^2(y)w(y)dy. \] \textbf{B.} If \(v(x)=cx^{2m}+\) lower order terms, then \(A_n(x)=2mca_nx^{2m-2}+\) lower order terms. Denoting the zeros of \(A_n(x)\) by \(a_{jn},\;1\leq j\leq 2m-2\), then \[ D_n=(2mc)^n\left(\prod_{j=1}^{2m-2} p_n(a_{jn})\right) \left(\prod_{k=1}^n a_k^{2k-2n+2m}\right). \] The third section considers the function of the second kind associated with the orthogonal polynomials, the (common) set of raising and lowering operators and the Lie algebra generated by them. Finally the author gives a fourth order differential equation for the so-called numerator polynomials \(p_n^{*}\); these follow from the recurrence relation with \(n\) replaced by \(n+1\) and initial values \(p_0^{*}(x)=0\), \(p_1^{*}(x)=1/a_1\).