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Is there a way to get the generating function of Hermite polynomials?

Physics Asked by Lluis Gerardo on June 2, 2021

I would like to know if there is any physical model in which the generating function of the Hermite polynomials arises, I know the problem of the quantum harmonic oscillator but I have not found the generating function there.
In my notes, the function I am referring to is the following
begin{equation}
G(x,t)=e^{-t^2+2tx}=sum_{n=0}^{infty}H_n(x)frac{t^n}{n!}
end{equation}

where $H_n(x)$ are the Hermite polynomials, I am interested on the exponential form.

One Answer

From the definition of Hermite polynomials, $$G(x,t)=sum_{n=0}^{infty}H_n(x)frac{t^n}{n!} = sum_{n=0}^{infty}frac{t^n}{n!} (-)^n e^{x^2} partial_x^n e^{-x^2} bbox[yellow]{=e^{x^2} e^{-tpartial_x} e^{-x^2} = e^{x^2}e^{-(x-t)^2} }=e^{-t^2+2tx}. $$ The operator series has been summed to a formal exponential, which is precisely Lagrange's shift operator, yielding the standard expression directly (yellow).

Note that
$$ (partial_x^2 -2xpartial_x +2n )H_n =0 ~~~~leftrightarrow ~~~~(partial_x^2 -2xpartial_x +2tpartial_t)G=0. $$

Is this what you want?

  • If you were comfortable with the above, you could segue to the celebrated Mehler kernel that your textbook probably covers if it's any good...

Correct answer by Cosmas Zachos on June 2, 2021

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