Differential equations for families of semi-classical orthogonal polynomials within class one

Abstract

In this paper we study families of semi-classical orthogonal polynomials within class one. We derive general second or third order ordinary differential equations (with respect to certain parameters) for the recurrence coefficients of the three-term recurrence relation of these polynomials and show that in particular well-known cases, e.g. related to the modified Airy and Laguerre weights, these equations can be reduced to the second and the fourth Painlevé equations.