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A mathematician associated with Laguerre polynomials and the Laguerre differential equation.

For polynomial solutions of the Laguerre differential equation, put $D_n=L_n^{\prime }-L_n$. The equation gives $D_n+t{D}_n^{\prime }=-(n+1)L_n$. Integrating $\int t{D}_n(L_m^{\prime }-L_m)e^{-t}$ by parts gives the displayed identity; the factor $t$ kills the endpoint at zero and exponential decay kills the endpoint at infinity. Its left side is symmetric in $n,m$, so subtracting the swapped identities proves orthogonality for distinct degrees. This provides a direct energy proof of orthogonality for the Laguerre polynomials without assuming their norm formula.

Normalize the Laguerre differential equation as $y^{\prime \prime }+P(x)y^{\prime }+Q(x)y=0$, where $P(x)=1/x-1$ and $Q(x)=n/x$. At $x=0$, the products $xP=1-x$ and $x^{2}Q=nx$ are analytic. Thus zero is a regular singular point, with indicial equationAt $x=1$ the coefficients $P,Q$ are analytic, so it is an ordinary point. No singular-point indicial equation is needed there.

For infinity put $z=1/x$ and $Y(z)=y(1/z)$. Then the equation becomesAt $z=0$, the coefficient $z(z^{-1}+z^{-2})=1+1/z$ is not analytic. Therefore infinity is an irregular singular point, including when $n=0$. A terminating polynomial solution does not change the classification of the differential equation.

Write a second-order linear ordinary differential equation in monic form $y^{\prime \prime }+P(x)y^{\prime }+Q(x)y=0$. At a finite point $x_0$, an ordinary point has analytic $P,Q$. A singular point is a regular singular point if $(x-x_0)P$ and $(x-x_0{)}^{2}Q$ extend analytically there. A singular point failing this condition is an irregular singular point. The point at infinity is classified by the reciprocal coordinate $t=1/x$.

For the Laguerre differential equation, $P=1/x-1$ and $Q=\nu /x$. Thus $xP=1-x$ and $x^{2}Q=\nu x$ are analytic at zero, while $P$ itself is singular: zero is regular singular. Put $Y(t)=y(1/t)$. Since $y^{\prime }=-t^2{Y}^{\prime }$ and $y^{\prime \prime }=t^4{Y}^{\prime \prime }+2t^3{Y}^{\prime }$, the transformed equation isHere $t{P}_t=1+1/t$ is not analytic at zero, so infinity is an irregular singular point, for every real $\nu$.

For the Frobenius solution, the lowest power $x^{\sigma -1}$ has coefficient $a_0{\sigma }^2$. Hence the indicial equation is ${\sigma }^2=0$, and equating the remaining powers givesWith the repeated root $\sigma =0$, the Frobenius series for the Laguerre differential equation obeysIf the series does not terminate, its consecutive term ratio is asymptotic to $x/k$, so the ratio test gives infinite radius of convergence. It is an entire function, even though the differential equation has a singular coefficient at zero. The repeated indicial root yields only one analytic Frobenius branch; an independent solution generally has a logarithmic term there.

For $\nu =n\ge 0$, the factor $k-n$ stops the recurrence at degree $n$. With $a_0=1$ its coefficients are $a_k=(-1{)}^k(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{n}{k})/k!$, giving the Laguerre polynomialsThe same termination argument includes $n=0$, as required for $L_0$ despite the earlier reference to positive integers.