A correlation function for the classical orthogonal polynomials

Abstract

A correlation function of the classical orthogonal polynomials is defined and determined. The correlation function obeys a second order difference equation in two variables. The correlation function for the Gegenbauer, Chebyshev and Legendre polynomials can be written as a 4F3 hypergeometric function. For the Jacobi polynomials the result is an F2 Appell function. For the Generalized Laguerre polynomials the result is a confluent hypergeometric function and for the Hermite polynomials there rests only a single term.