On the differential equation for the Sobolev-Laguerre polynomials

Abstract: The Sobolev-Laguerre polynomials form an orthogonal polynomial system with respect to a Sobolev-type inner product associated with the Laguerre measure on the positive half-axis and two point masses $M,N > 0$ at the origin involving functions and derivatives. These polynomials have attracted much interest over the last two decades, since they became known to satisfy, for any value of the Laguerre parameter $\alpha\in\mathbb{N}_{0}$, a spectral differential equation of finite order $4\alpha+10$. In this paper we establish a new explicit representation of the corresponding differential operator which consists of a number of elementary components depending on $\alpha,M,N$. Their interaction reveals a rich structure both being useful for applications and as a model for further investigations in the field. In particular, the Sobolev-Laguerre differential operator is shown to be symmetric with respect to the inner product.