Symmetry techniques for the Al-Salam - Chihara polynomials (Q4232185)

The Al-Salam-Chihara polynomials are a particular case of the Askey-Wilson polynomials \(p_n(x;a,b,c,d| q)\) [\textit{R. Askey} and \textit{J. Wilson} (Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 319, 1-55 (1985; Zbl 0572.33012)], namely \(Q_n(x;a,b| q)=p_n(x;a,b,0,0| q)\). The authors show that the polynomials \(Q_n\) occur as basis vectors of an irreducible representation of a generalized Euclidean \(q\)-algebra. This algebraic model is realized in terms of difference operators acting on functions of three variables. The building blocks are four \(q\)-difference operators from [\textit{E. G. Kalnins} and \textit{W. Miller jun.}, Rocky Mt. J. Math. 19, No. 1, 223-230 (1989; Zbl 0695.33008)]. As an application of these techniques, a new expansion formula for the Al-Salam-Chihara polynomials is derived. This formula extends an earlier result of the authors for the continuous big \(q\)-Hermite polynomials [\textit{R. Floreanini, J. LeTourneux} and \textit{L. Vinet}, J. Math. Phys. 36, No. 9, 5091-5097 (1995)].