Extensions of discrete classical orthogonal polynomials beyond the orthogonality

Abstract

It is well known that the family of Hahn polynomials $\{h_n^{\alpha,\beta}(x;N)\}_{n\ge 0}$ is orthogonal with respect to a certain weight function up to $N$. In this paper we present a factorization for Hahn polynomials for a degree higher than $N$ and we prove that these polynomials can be characterized by a $\Delta$-Sobolev orthogonality. We also present an analogous result for dual-Hahn, Krawtchouk, and Racah polynomials and give the limit relations between them for all $n\in \XX N_0$. Furthermore, in order to get this results for the Krawtchouk polynomials we will get a more general property of orthogonality for Meixner polynomials.