Properties of zeros of orthogonal polynomials and related functions (Q1318449)

First, the author gives monotonicity properties of the zeros \(x_ j(\alpha)\) of a polynomial solution of the differential equation \(y''+ P(x,\alpha)y'+ Q(x,\alpha)Y= 0\) (\(P\), \(Q\) meromorphic for each \(\alpha\), the polynomial solution has simple zeros not coinciding with the singularities of \(P\), \(Q\)) in terms of monotonicity of \(P(x,\alpha)\) as a function of \(\alpha\) alone (no condition on \(Q(x,\alpha)\) is needed!); the result is applied to Gegenbauer polynomials. To get further results, the author turns to the three term recurrence relation and presents the problem of zeros in the context of eigenvalues of tridiagonal matrices; applications to associated Laguerre polynomials and Al-Salam-Carlitz polynomials are given and similar results for Meixner and Pollaczek polynomials are mentioned. Furthermore, other methods using differential equations of the form \((p(t,\nu)y')'+ r(t,\nu)y= 0\) and generalized Schläfli formulas are discussed. A very nice overview of what is known about the subject (to which the author has given many important contributions).