The relationship between semi-classical Laguerre polynomials and the fourth Painlev\'e equation

Abstract

We discuss the relationship between the recurrence coefficients of orthogonal polynomials with respect to a semi-classical Laguerre weight and classical solutions of the fourth Painlev\'e equation. We show that the coefficients in these recurrence relations can be expressed in terms of Wronskians of parabolic cylinder functions which arise in the description of special function solutions of the fourth Painlev\'e equation.