Associated Laguerre Polynomials

Associated Laguerre polynomials
Laguerre functions are defined by confluent hypergeometric functions and Kummer's transformation as
When n is an integer the function reduces to a polynomial of degree n. It has the alternative expression
in terms of Kummer's function of the second kind.
The generalized Laguerre polynomial of degree n is
(derived equivalently by applying Leibniz's theorem for differentiation of a product to Rodrigues' formula.)
The first few generalized Laguerre polynomials are:
o
o
The coefficient of the leading term is (1)n/n!;

The constant term, which is the value at 0, is
The explicit formula allows the generalized Laguerre polynomials to be computed using Horner's method,
however, the resulting algorithm is not stable. The following method is stable:
function LaguerreL(n, alpha, x) {

L1:= 0; LaguerreL:= 1;
for i:= 1 to n {
L0:= L1; L1:= LaguerreL;
LaguerreL:= ((2* i- 1+ alpha- x)* L1- (i- 1+ alpha)* L0)/ i;}
return LaguerreL;
}
Ln() has n real, strictly positive roots (notice that
is a Sturm chain), which are all in
the interval
The polynomials' asymptotic behaviour for large n, but fixed and x > 0, is given by
and
[1]
Recurrence relations
Laguerre's polynomials satisfy the recurrence relations
in particular
and
or
moreover
They can be used to derive the four 3-point-rules
combined they give this additional, useful recurrence relations
A somewhat curious identity, valid for integer i and n, is
it may be used to derive the partial fraction decomposition
Derivatives of generalized Laguerre polynomials

Differentiating the power series representation of a generalized Laguerre polynomial k times leads to
moreover, this following equation holds
which generalizes with Cauchy's formula to
The derivate with respect to the second variable has the surprising form
The generalized associated Laguerre polynomials obey the differential equation
which may be compared with the equation obeyed by the k-th derivative of the ordinary Laguerre
polynomial,
where
for this equation only.
This points to a special case (
= 0) of the formula above: for integer = k the generalized polynomial
may be written
parenthesis notation for a derivative.
, the shift by k sometimes causing confusion with the usual
Orthogonality
The associated Laguerre polynomials are orthogonal over [0, ) with respect to the measure with weighting
function x e x:
which follows from
The associated, symmetric kernel polynomial has the representations (ChristoffelDarboux formula)
recursively
Moreover,
in the associated L2[0, )-space.

The following integral is needed in the quantum mechanical treatment of the hydrogen atom,
Series expansions
Let a function have the (formal) series expansion
Then
The series converges in the associated Hilbert space
A related series expansion is
, iff
in particular
which follows from
Secondly,
a consequence derived from
for
More and other examples

Monomials are represented as
binomials have the parametrization
This leads directly to
and, even more generally,
For a non-negative integer this simplifies to
for
= 0 to
or
Jacobi's theta function has the representation
the Bessel function J can be expressed (using an arbitrarily chosen parameter t) as
Gamma function has the parametrization
the lower incomplete Gamma function has the representations
and
The upper incomplete gamma function then is
where 2F1 denotes the hypergeometric function.
Multiplication Theorems
Erdlyi gives the following two multiplication theorems [2]
As contour integral
The polynomials may be expressed in terms of a contour integral
where the contour circles the origin once in a counterclockwise direction.
Relation to Hermite polynomials

The generalized Laguerre polynomials are related to the Hermite polynomials:
and
where the Hn(x) are the Hermite polynomials based on the weighting function exp(x2), the so-called
"physicist's version."
Because of this, the generalized Laguerre polynomials arise in the treatment of the quantum harmonic
oscillator.
Relation to hypergeometric functions

The Laguerre polynomials may be defined in terms of hypergeometric functions, specifically the confluent
hypergeometric functions, as
where (a)n is the Pochhammer symbol (which in this case represents the rising factorial).
Relation to Bessel functions

In terms of modified Bessel functions (Bessel polynomials) these following relations hold:
or further elaborated

Associated Laguerre Polynomials

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Associated Laguerre Polynomials

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Associated Laguerre Polynomials

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Associated Laguerre polynomials

in terms of Kummer's function of the second kind.

The generalized Laguerre polynomial of degree n is

The first few generalized Laguerre polynomials are:

The coefficient of the leading term is (1)n/n!;

function LaguerreL(n, alpha, x) {

Ln() has n real, strictly positive roots (notice that

is a Sturm chain), which are all in

They can be used to derive the four 3-point-rules

combined they give this additional, useful recurrence relations

A somewhat curious identity, valid for integer i and n, is

it may be used to derive the partial fraction decomposition

Derivatives of generalized Laguerre polynomials

moreover, this following equation holds

which generalizes with Cauchy's formula to

The generalized associated Laguerre polynomials obey the differential equation

for this equation only.

This points to a special case (

= 0) of the formula above: for integer = k the generalized polynomial

, the shift by k sometimes causing confusion with the usual

which follows from

in the associated L2[0, )-space.

The series converges in the associated Hilbert space

A related series expansion is

which follows from

a consequence derived from

More and other examples

binomials have the parametrization

This leads directly to

and, even more generally,

For a non-negative integer this simplifies to

Jacobi's theta function has the representation

the Bessel function J can be expressed (using an arbitrarily chosen parameter t) as

Gamma function has the parametrization

the lower incomplete Gamma function has the representations

The upper incomplete gamma function then is

where 2F1 denotes the hypergeometric function.

where the contour circles the origin once in a counterclockwise direction.

Relation to Hermite polynomials

Relation to hypergeometric functions

Relation to Bessel functions

You might also like