Coherent Orthogonal Polynomials

TL;DR

This paper explores the fundamental connection between orthogonal polynomials and Lie algebra theory, revealing how classical polynomials correspond to unitary representations of specific Lie algebras and enabling the construction of generalized coherent states.

Contribution

It introduces a Lie algebra framework for orthogonal polynomials, linking their properties to Lie algebra representations and extending to generalized coherent states.

Findings

Hermite polynomials relate to the Weyl-Heisenberg algebra h(1).

Laguerre and Legendre polynomials relate to the su(1,1) algebra.

Lie algebra structures enable the construction of generalized coherent states.

Abstract

We discuss as a fundamental characteristic of orthogonal polynomials like the existence of a Lie algebra behind them, can be added to their other relevant aspects. At the basis of the complete framework for orthogonal polynomials we put thus --in addition to differential equations, recurrence relations, Hilbert spaces and square integrable functions-- Lie algebra theory. We start here from the square integrable functions on the open connected subset of the real line whose bases are related to orthogonal polynomials. All these one-dimensional continuous spaces allow, besides the standard uncountable basis ${|x>}$, for an alternative countable basis ${|n>}$. The matrix elements that relate these two bases are essentially the orthogonal polynomials: Hermite polynomials for the line and Laguerre and Legendre polynomials for the half-line and the line interval, respectively. Differential recurrence relations of orthogonal polynomials allow us to realize that they determine a unitary representation of a non-compact Lie algebra, whose second order Casimir ${\cal C}$ gives rise to the second order differential equation that defines the corresponding family of orthogonal polynomials. Thus, the Weyl-Heisenberg algebra $h(1)$ with ${\cal C}=0$ for Hermite polynomials and $su(1,1)$ with ${\cal C}=-1/4$ for Laguerre and Legendre polynomials are obtained. Starting from the orthogonal polynomials the Lie algebra is extended both to the whole space of the ${\cal L}^2$ functions and to the corresponding Universal Enveloping Algebra and transformation group. Generalized coherent states from each vector in the space ${\cal L}^2$ and, in particular, generalized coherent polynomials are thus obtained.