Skip to main content
Log in

Self-Adjoint Difference Operators and Symmetric Al-Salam–Chihara Polynomials

  • Published:
Constructive Approximation Aims and scope

Abstract

The symmetric Al-Salam–Chihara polynomials for q > 1 are associated with an indeterminate moment problem. There is a self-adjoint second-order difference operator on ℓ2(Z) to which these polynomials are eigenfunctions. We determine the spectral decomposition of this self-adjoint operator. This leads to a class of discrete orthogonality measures, which have been obtained previously by Christiansen and Ismail using a different method, and we give an explicit orthogonal basis for the corresponding weighted ℓ2-space. In particular, the orthocomplement of the polynomials is described explicitly. Taking a limit we obtain all the N-extremal solutions to the q-1-Hermite moment problem, a result originally obtained by Ismail and Masson in a different way. Some applications of the results are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jacob S. Christiansen or Erik Koelink.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Christiansen, J., Koelink, E. Self-Adjoint Difference Operators and Symmetric Al-Salam–Chihara Polynomials. Constr Approx 28, 199–218 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00365-007-0677-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00365-007-0677-x

Keywords

Navigation