A direct approach to Koekoek's differential equation for generalized Laguerre polynomials (Q1804765)

The author reconsiders the class of polynomials \(\{L_ n^{\alpha, N} (x) \}^ \infty_{n=0}\) which are orthogonal on the interval \([0, \infty)\) with respect to the weight function \(x^ \alpha e^{-x}/ \Gamma (\alpha+1)+ N\delta (x)\) and wants to determine the coefficients \(a_ i (x)\) so that the following linear differential equation is satisfied by \(L_ n^{\alpha, N} (x)\): \[ N\sum_{i=0}^ \infty a_ i (x) y^{(i)} (x)+ xy''(x)+ (\alpha+1- x)y' (x)+ ny(x)=0. \] Here \(\alpha>-1\) and \(N\geq 0\) are given constants while \(\delta (x)\) stands for the Dirac delta function. Notice that when \(N=0\) the function \(L_ n^{\alpha, 0} (x)\) is merely the classical Laguerre polynomial. In order to this end he starts from an already known explicit expression of \(L_ n^{\alpha, n} (x)\), which reduces the problem to the solution of a couple of series equations involving Laguerre polynomials. The result is given explicitly.