On Sobolev Orthogonality for the Generalized Laguerre Polynomials

AbstractThe orthogonality of the generalized Laguerre polynomials, {L(α)n(x)}n⩾0, is a well known fact when the parameterαis a real number but not a negative integer. In fact, for −1<α, they are orthogonal on the interval [0, +∞) with respect to the weight functionρ(x)=xαe−x, and forα<−1, but not an integer, they are orthogonal with respect to a non-positive definite linear functional. In this work we will show that, for every value of the real parameterα, the generalized Laguerre polynomials are orthogonal with respect to a non-diagonal Sobolev inner product, that is, an inner product involving derivatives