Some discrete \(d\)-orthogonal polynomial sets. (Q1398701)

The concept of \(d\)-orthogonality has been received quite a lot of attention over the last ten years and the authors give a very interesting contribution to the development of the field. Let \(u\) be a linear functional on the space \textbf{P} of all polynomials; its action is written as \(\langle u,f\rangle\) for all \(f\in\mathbf{P}\). A polynomial sequence \(\{P_n\}_{n\geq 0}\) (OPS) is a sequence of polynomials with deg\(\,P_n=n,\;n\geq 0\). The corresponding monic sequence is denoted by \(\{{\widetilde P}_n\}_{n\geq 0}\) and its dual sequence \(\{u_n\}_{n\geq 0}\) is given by \[ \langle u_n,{\widetilde P}_m\rangle =\delta_{n,m},\quad n,\,m\geq 0 \] with \(\delta_{n,m}\) the Kronecker-delta. Let now \(d\geq 1\) be an arbitrary integer, then the polynomial sequence is called \(d\)-orthogonal with respect to the \(d\)-dimensional functional \[ {\mathcal U}={}^t (u_0,\ldots,u_{d-1}), \] if the following holds: \[ \langle u_k,P_mP_n\rangle =0,\quad m>dn+k,\;n\geq 0, \] \[ \langle u_k,P_{dn+k}P_n\rangle\not= 0,\quad n\geq 0. \] Furthermore, let \(\Delta_{\omega}\) be the Hahn-operator \[ \Delta_{\omega}(f)(x)={f(x+\omega)-f(x)\over \omega},\quad \omega\not= 0. \] Note that for \(\omega\rightarrow 0\), we have \(\Delta_{\omega} \rightarrow (d/dx)\). For a \(d\)-OPS we can then put \(Q_n(x)=\Delta_{\omega}P_{n+1}(x),\;n\geq 0\), and - according to Hahn's property \textit{W. Hahn} [Math. Z. 39, 634-638 (1935; Zbl 0011.06202)] -- the sequence \(\{P_n\}\) is called \textit{semi-classical} if \(\{Q_n\}\) is also \(d\)-orthogonal. Finally, a polynomial sequence is called \(\Delta_{\omega}\)-Appell if and only if \[ \Delta_{\omega}P_{n+1}(x)=(n+1)P_n(x),\quad n\geq 0. \] The paper now solves the important classification problem to find all polynomial sequences which are \(d\)-OPS and \(\Delta_{\omega}\)-Appell for \(\omega\not= 0\) and \(d\) a positive integer. The case \(\omega=0\) has already been solved by many authors; cf. the historical paper by \textit{W.A. Al-Salam} [Nato ASI, series C: Math-Phys. Sc., Vol. 294, 1-24 (1990; Zbl 0704.42021)]. All solutions to the problem are generated by \[ \exp{\left(\sum_{\nu=1}^d\,\delta_{\nu}t^{\nu}\right)} (1+\omega t)^{x/\omega} = \sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\,P_n(\omega;x){t^n\over n!},\quad \delta_d\not= 0. \] The authors also sum up the (few) instances of pairs for which the problem has been solved before: \[ (d,\omega)=(1,0),\,(1,1),\,(d,0)\text{ with }d\geq 1,\quad (1,\omega) \text{ with }\omega\not= 0. \] The paper finally exhibits some explicit examples; a very nicely written paper.