Concept
Hermite polynomials
Related concepts (22)
Confluent hypergeometric function
In mathematics, a confluent hypergeometric function is a solution of a confluent hypergeometric equation, which is a degenerate form of a hypergeometric differential equation where two of the three regular singularities merge into an irregular singularity. The term confluent refers to the merging of singular points of families of differential equations; confluere is Latin for "to flow together". There are several common standard forms of confluent hypergeometric functions: Kummer's (confluent hypergeometric) function M(a, b, z), introduced by , is a solution to Kummer's differential equation.
Appell sequence
In mathematics, an Appell sequence, named after Paul Émile Appell, is any polynomial sequence satisfying the identity and in which is a non-zero constant. Among the most notable Appell sequences besides the trivial example are the Hermite polynomials, the Bernoulli polynomials, and the Euler polynomials. Every Appell sequence is a Sheffer sequence, but most Sheffer sequences are not Appell sequences. Appell sequences have a probabilistic interpretation as systems of moments.
Sheffer sequence
In mathematics, a Sheffer sequence or poweroid is a polynomial sequence, i.e., a sequence (pn(x) : n = 0, 1, 2, 3, ...) of polynomials in which the index of each polynomial equals its degree, satisfying conditions related to the umbral calculus in combinatorics. They are named for Isador M. Sheffer. Fix a polynomial sequence (pn). Define a linear operator Q on polynomials in x by This determines Q on all polynomials. The polynomial sequence pn is a Sheffer sequence if the linear operator Q just defined is shift-equivariant; such a Q is then a delta operator.
Mehler kernel
The Mehler kernel is a complex-valued function found to be the propagator of the quantum harmonic oscillator. defined a function and showed, in modernized notation, that it can be expanded in terms of Hermite polynomials H(.) based on weight function exp(−x2) as This result is useful, in modified form, in quantum physics, probability theory, and harmonic analysis. In physics, the fundamental solution, (Green's function), or propagator of the Hamiltonian for the quantum harmonic oscillator is called the Mehler kernel.
Phase-space formulation
The phase-space formulation of quantum mechanics places the position and momentum variables on equal footing in phase space. In contrast, the Schrödinger picture uses the position or momentum representations (see also position and momentum space). The two key features of the phase-space formulation are that the quantum state is described by a quasiprobability distribution (instead of a wave function, state vector, or density matrix) and operator multiplication is replaced by a star product.
Heat equation
In mathematics and physics, the heat equation is a certain partial differential equation. Solutions of the heat equation are sometimes known as caloric functions. The theory of the heat equation was first developed by Joseph Fourier in 1822 for the purpose of modeling how a quantity such as heat diffuses through a given region. As the prototypical parabolic partial differential equation, the heat equation is among the most widely studied topics in pure mathematics, and its analysis is regarded as fundamental to the broader field of partial differential equations.
Generalized hypergeometric function
In mathematics, a generalized hypergeometric series is a power series in which the ratio of successive coefficients indexed by n is a rational function of n. The series, if convergent, defines a generalized hypergeometric function, which may then be defined over a wider domain of the argument by analytic continuation. The generalized hypergeometric series is sometimes just called the hypergeometric series, though this term also sometimes just refers to the Gaussian hypergeometric series.
Rodrigues' formula
In mathematics, Rodrigues' formula (formerly called the Ivory–Jacobi formula) is a formula for the Legendre polynomials independently introduced by , and . The name "Rodrigues formula" was introduced by Heine in 1878, after Hermite pointed out in 1865 that Rodrigues was the first to discover it. The term is also used to describe similar formulas for other orthogonal polynomials. describes the history of the Rodrigues formula in detail.
Bernoulli polynomials
In mathematics, the Bernoulli polynomials, named after Jacob Bernoulli, combine the Bernoulli numbers and binomial coefficients. They are used for series expansion of functions, and with the Euler–MacLaurin formula. These polynomials occur in the study of many special functions and, in particular, the Riemann zeta function and the Hurwitz zeta function. They are an Appell sequence (i.e. a Sheffer sequence for the ordinary derivative operator). For the Bernoulli polynomials, the number of crossings of the x-axis in the unit interval does not go up with the degree.
Orthogonal functions
In mathematics, orthogonal functions belong to a function space that is a vector space equipped with a bilinear form. When the function space has an interval as the domain, the bilinear form may be the integral of the product of functions over the interval: The functions and are orthogonal when this integral is zero, i.e. whenever . As with a basis of vectors in a finite-dimensional space, orthogonal functions can form an infinite basis for a function space.