In mathematics, the Hahn polynomials are a family of orthogonal polynomials in the Askey scheme of hypergeometric orthogonal polynomials, introduced by Pafnuty Chebyshev in 1875 (Chebyshev 1907) and rediscovered by Wolfgang Hahn (Hahn 1949). The Hahn class is a name for special cases of Hahn polynomials, including Hahn polynomials, Meixner polynomials, Krawtchouk polynomials, and Charlier polynomials. Sometimes the Hahn class is taken to include limiting cases of these polynomials, in which case it also includes the classical orthogonal polynomials.

Hahn polynomials are defined in terms of generalized hypergeometric functions by

${\displaystyle Q_{n}(x;\alpha ,\beta ,N)={}_{3}F_{2}(-n,-x,n+\alpha +\beta +1;\alpha +1,-N+1;1).\ }$

Roelof Koekoek, Peter A. Lesky, and René F. Swarttouw (2010, 14) give a detailed list of their properties.

If ${\displaystyle \alpha =\beta =0}$, these polynomials are identical to the discrete Chebyshev polynomials except for a scale factor.

Closely related polynomials include the dual Hahn polynomials R_n(x;γ,δ,N), the continuous Hahn polynomials p_n(x,a,b, a, b), and the continuous dual Hahn polynomials S_n(x;a,b,c). These polynomials all have q-analogs with an extra parameter q, such as the q-Hahn polynomials Q_n(x;α,β, N;q), and so on.

${\displaystyle \sum _{x=0}^{N-1}Q_{n}(x)Q_{m}(x)\rho (x)={\frac {1}{\pi _{n}}}\delta _{m,n},}$

${\displaystyle \sum _{n=0}^{N-1}Q_{n}(x)Q_{n}(y)\pi _{n}={\frac {1}{\rho (x)}}\delta _{x,y}}$

where δ_x,y is the Kronecker delta function and the weight functions are

${\displaystyle \rho (x)=\rho (x;\alpha ;\beta ,N)={\binom {\alpha +x}{x}}{\binom {\beta +N-1-x}{N-1-x}}/{\binom {N+\alpha +\beta }{N-1}}}$

and

${\displaystyle \pi _{n}=\pi _{n}(\alpha ,\beta ,N)={\binom {N-1}{n}}{\frac {2n+\alpha +\beta +1}{\alpha +\beta +1}}{\frac {\Gamma (\beta +1,n+\alpha +1,n+\alpha +\beta +1)}{\Gamma (\alpha +1,\alpha +\beta +1,n+\beta +1,n+1)}}/{\binom {N+\alpha +\beta +n}{n}}}$.

• Racah polynomials are a generalization of Hahn polynomials

• Chebyshev, P. (1907), "Sur l'interpolation des valeurs équidistantes", in Markoff, A.; Sonin, N. (eds.), Oeuvres de P. L. Tchebychef, vol. 2, pp. 219–242, Reprinted by Chelsea
• Hahn, Wolfgang (1949), "Über Orthogonalpolynome, die q-Differenzengleichungen genügen", Mathematische Nachrichten, 2: 4–34, doi:10.1002/mana.19490020103, ISSN 0025-584X, MR 0030647
• Koekoek, Roelof; Lesky, Peter A.; Swarttouw, René F. (2010), Hypergeometric orthogonal polynomials and their q-analogues, Springer Monographs in Mathematics, Berlin, New York: Springer-Verlag, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-05014-5, ISBN 978-3-642-05013-8, MR 2656096
• Koornwinder, Tom H.; Wong, Roderick S. C.; Koekoek, Roelof; Swarttouw, René F. (2010), "Hahn Class: Definitions", in Olver, Frank W. J.; Lozier, Daniel M.; Boisvert, Ronald F.; Clark, Charles W. (eds.), NIST Handbook of Mathematical Functions, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-19225-5, MR 2723248.