Supersymmetry, shape invariance and the hypergeometric equation

Abstract

It has been shown earlier that the solubility of the Legendre and the associated Legendre equations can be understood as a consequence of an underlying supersymmetry and shape invariance. We have extended this result to the hypergeometric equation. Since the hypergeometric equation as well as the hypergeometric function reduce to various orthogonal polynomials, this study shows that the solubility of all such systems can also be understood as a consequence of an underlying supersymmetry and shape invariance. Our analysis leads naturally to closed form expressions (Rodrigues' formula) for the orthogonal polynomials.