Bispectral algebras of commuting ordinary differential operators (Q1270174)

The authors consider the bispectral problem, i.e., for which ordinary differential operators \(L(x,\partial_x)\) there exists a family of eigenfunctions \(\psi(x,z)\) that are eigenfunctions for another differential operator \(\Lambda(z,\partial_x)\) (with spectral parameter \(z\)), explicitly \[ L(x,\partial_x)= f(z)\psi(x,z),\quad \Lambda(z,\partial_z)= \Theta(x)\psi(x,z), \] for some functions \(f(x)\), \(\Theta(x)\), with \(L\) and \(\Lambda\) mutually bispectral operators. The paper is devoted to develop a systematic way for constructing nontrivial maximal bispectral algebras of commuting ordinary differential operators of any rank \(N\). The authors obtain bispectral algebras by applying a version of Darboux transformations on specific wave functions (Bessel and Airy wave functions). The construction is completely algorithmic and enables one to obtain all previously known classes or individual examples of bispectral operators. The problem first appeared in connection with limited angle tomography and later has turned out to be related to several topics, e.g., soliton mathematics. The paper heavily draws on previous papers of the authors, along with those of others, which are extensively referred.