Rota's umbral calculus and recursions (Q2496175)

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Rota's umbral calculus and recursions
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    Rota's umbral calculus and recursions (English)
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    12 July 2006
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    Rota's Umbral Calculus is about an isomorphism between formal power series, linear functionals and a certain class of linear operators on polynomials. Common ground to the three concepts are special polynomial sequences, called Sheffer sequences. A polynomial sequence \((s_m(x))_{m\in \mathbb N_0}\) is a sequence of polynomials \(s_m(x)\in \mathbb K [x]\) such that deg \(s_m=m\), \(s_0\not =0\), char \(\mathbb K =0\). Every delta operator \(Q\) reduces degrees by one and it has its null-space equal to the constant polynomials. Every polynomial sequence (\(s_m\)) solving the system \(Qs_m(x)=s_{m-1}(x)\) is a \(Q\)-Sheffer sequence. Umbral calculus can be used as a tool for solving recursions, if the exact solutions to such recursions are Sheffer sequences. The author summarizes the relevant theory and gives a variety of examples from combinatorics in one, two and three variables.
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    combinatorial enumeration
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