Linear partial difference equations of hypergeometric type: orthogonal polynomial solutions in two discrete variables (Q869509)

Let \(\Delta_k,\nabla_k\) be the upward and backward partial difference operators. The two-dimensional linear second order partial difference equation of the form \[ \begin{multlined} a_{11}\Delta_1\nabla_1u(x)+a_{12}\Delta_1\nabla_2u(x)+a_{21}\Delta_2\nabla_1u(x)\\ + a_{22}\Delta_2\nabla_2u(x)+b_1(x)\Delta_1u(x)+b_2(x)\Delta_2u(x)+\lambda u(x)=0\end{multlined} \] is studied. First of all the authors present the hypergeometric class of the equations. Next, self-adjoint form is given together with identities for the orthogonality weight of the polynomial solutions (Pearson's system) and of their difference derivatives. Many analogues of the theory of the orthogonal polynomials in several variables as well as some examples related with bivariate Hahn, Kravchuk, Meixner, and Charlier families are given.