The q-Heun operator of big q-Jacobi type and the q-Heun algebra (Q2181587)

This paper improves existing results on the algebraic Heun operator introduced previously by the second and the third author in [Commun. Math. Phys. 364, No. 3, 1041--1068 (2018; Zbl 1405.33025)]. Here they defined the \(q\)-Heun operator of big \(q\)-Jacobi type (on the exponential grid) in the form of the most general second-order \(q\)-difference operator that maps polynomials of degree \(n\) to polynomials of degree \(n + 1\). Two prominent features of the \(q\)-Heun operator introduced in the current paper are that it is tridiagonal and is bilinear in the operators of the \(q\)-Hahn algebra. In the second section of the paper the authors construct the big \(q\)-Heun operator on the exponential grid. This is given by \[ W = {A_1}(x){T^+} + {A_2}(x){T^-} + {A_0}(x) \mathcal{I}, \tag{1} \] with \({T^+}f(x) = f(qx)\), \({T^-}f(x) = f\left( {x/q} \right)\) and \[ A_1(x) = \frac{p_3(x)}{x^2},\qquad A_2(x) = \frac{q{p_3}(x) + x{p_2}(x)}{x^2},\qquad A_0(x) = - {A_1}(x) - {A_2}(x) + {p_1}(x), \] and \(\deg (p_i(x)) \le i,\ i = 1,2,3\). The special case \(A_k(x) = \frac{{s_k}(x)}{x},\ k = 0,1,2,\) for some second-degree polynomials \(s_k\) gives the so-called little \(q\)-Heun operator. It is shown that up to similarity, scaling and affine transformations the little \(q\)-Heun operator is equivalent to the operator \(A^{\langle 4\rangle}\), while the big \(q\)-Heun operator is equivalent to the operator \(A^{\langle 3\rangle}\) (introduced by \textit{K. Takemura} [SIGMA, Symmetry Integrability Geom. Methods Appl. 14, Paper 061, 16 p. (2018; Zbl 1395.39003)]). In the fourth section the authors prove that the big \(q\)-Heun operator given by (1) coincides with the second-order \(q\)-difference operator given by the bilinear Ansatz \[ W = {\tau_1}XY + {\tau_2}YX + {\tau_3}X + {\tau_4}Y + {\tau_0}\mathcal I, \] where \(X\) and \(Y\) are the generators of the \(q\)-Hahn (or big \(q\)-Jacobi) algebra . The operator \(W\) is the most general second-order difference operator on the exponential grid which is tridiagonal with respect to the big \(q\)-Jacobi polynomials \(P_n(x; a, b, c)\) and the \(q\)-Pochhammer basis. The operators \(Y,W\) satisfy the commutation relations (Heun-Askey-Wilson algebra) \[ \left[ {Y,\left[ {W,Y} \right]} \right] = {e_1}{Y^3} + rYWY + {s_1}{Y^2} + {s_2}\left\{ {Y,W} \right\} + {s_3}W + {s_4}Y + {s_5}\mathcal{I}, \tag{2} \] \[ \left[ {W,\left[ {Y,W} \right]} \right] = {e_2}YWY + {e_3}{Y^3} + {e_4}{Y^2} + rWYW + {s_6}{W^2} + {s_7}\left\{ {Y,W} \right\} + {s_8}W + {s_9}Y + {s_{10}}\mathcal I,\tag{3} \] for which the structure of the coefficients \(r\) and \(s_i , i = 1, \dots,7\) is similar to the corresponding Askey-Wilson algebra. Due to the extra terms \(e_1,e_2,e_3,e_4\) the Heun-Askey-Wilson algebra defined by (2) and (3) is more general than the Askey-Wilson algebra. In the sixth section it is proven that the Pastro biorthogonal polynomials introduced in [\textit{P. I. Pastro}, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 112, 517--540 (1985; Zbl 0582.33010)] lie in the kernel of a linear pencil of two Hahn-Heun operators.