Hermite polynomials are a set of orthogonal polynomials that arise in probability, combinatorics, and physics, particularly in the context of quantum mechanics and the solution of differential equations. They are defined by the recurrence relation:
with the initial conditions and . The -th Hermite polynomial can also be expressed in terms of the exponential function and is given by:
These polynomials are orthogonal with respect to the weight function on the interval , meaning that:
Hermite polynomials play a crucial role in the formulation of the quantum harmonic oscillator and in the study of Gaussian integrals, making them significant in both theoretical and applied
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