Semi-classical Jacobi polynomials, Hankel determinants and asymptotics (Q2054423)

In this paper the authors study orthogonal polynomials and Hankel determinants with respect to the symmetric semi-classical Jacobi weight \[ w(t,x)=(1-x^2)^\alpha e^{-tx^2},\quad x\in[-1,1],\quad \alpha>-1,\quad t\in\mathbb{R}. \] The monic polynomial \(P_n(x,t)=x^n+\text{p}(n,t)x^{n-1}+\cdots\) satisfies the three-term recurrence relation \[ xP_n(x,t)=P_{n+1}(x,t)+\beta_n(t)P_{n-1}(x,t). \] The authors derive second-order nonlinear difference equations satisfied by the recurrence coefficient \(\beta_n(t)\) and the sub-leading coefficient p\((n,t)\). Therefore they obtain the large \(n\) asymptotics of \(\beta_n(t)\) and \(\text{p}(n,t)\). Also they prove that \(\beta_n(t)\) satisfies a second-order differential equation and that the expression \(R_n(t) = 2n + 1 + 2\alpha - 2t(\beta_n(t) + \beta_{n+1}(t))\) satisfies a particular instance of the Painlevé V equation. Finally, they show that the logarithmic derivative of the associated Hankel determinant satisfies both the second-order differential and difference equations.