A unified study of orthogonal polynomials via Lie algebra

In this paper, we discuss some operators defined on Lie algebras for the purpose of deriving properties of some special functions. The method developed in this paper can also be used to study some other special functions of mathematical physics. We have established a general theorem concerning eigenvectors for the product of two operators defined on a Lie algebra of endomorphisms of a vector space. Further, using this result, we have obtained differential recurrence relations and differential equations for the extended Jacobi polynomials and the Gegenbauer polynomials. Results of many researchers; see for example Radulescu (1991), Mandal (1991), Pathan and Khan (2003), Humi, and the references therein, follow as special cases of our results.