A probabilistic interpretation of a modified Gegenbauer polynomial is furnished by its expression in terms of a combinatorial probability defined on a compound urn model. Also, a combinatorial interpretation of its coefficients is provided. In particular, probabilistic interpretations of a modified Chebyshev polynomial of the second kind and a modified Legendre polynomial together with combinat...

Properties of the hybrid of block-pulse functions and Lagrange polynomials based on the Legendre-Gauss-type points are investigated and utilized to define the composite interpolation operator as an extension of the well-known Legendre interpolation operator. The uniqueness and interpolating properties are discussed and the corresponding differentiation matrix is also introduced. The appl...

We consider a fourth-order eigenvalue problem on a semi-infinite strip which arises in the study of viscoelastic shear flow. The eigenvalues and eigenfunctions are computed by a spectral method involving Laguerre functions and Legendre polynomials.

Multiple orthogonal polynomials are polynomials in one variable that satisfy orthogonality conditions with respect to several measures. I will briefly give some general properties of these polynomials (recurrence relation, zeros, etc.). These polynomials have recently appeared in many applications, such as number theory, random matrices, non-intersecting random paths, integrable systems, etc. I...

An incompressible variational ideal ballooning mode equation is discretized with the COOL finite element discretization scheme using basis functions composed of variable order Legendre polynomials. This reduces the second order ordinary differential equation to a special block pentadiagonal matrix equation that is solved using an inverse vector iteration method. A benchmark test of BECOOL (Ball...

—An explicit formula for the Fourier coef cients of the Legendre polynomials can be found in the Bateman Manuscript Project. However, formulas for more general classes of orthogonal polynomials do not appear to have been worked out. Here we derive explicit formulas for the Fourier series of Gegenbauer, Jacobi, Laguerre and Hermite polynomials. The methods described here apply in principle to an...

A fast, simple, and numerically stable transform for converting between Legendre and Chebyshev coefficients of a degree N polynomial in O(N(logN)2/ log logN) operations is derived. The basis of the algorithm is to rewrite a well-known asymptotic formula for Legendre polynomials of large degree as a weighted linear combination of Chebyshev polynomials, which can then be evaluated by using the di...

We analyze the problem facing the team that wins the toss at the deciding fifth set of a volleyball match. The team’s decision to serve or to receive the service can make a difference to the eventual outcome of the match. We characterize the conditions under which it is better to serve or to receive the service at that set. These conditions are obtained by first expressing the exact probability...