Tridiagonal matrices, orthogonal polynomials and Diophantine relations: I

It is well known that the eigenvalues of tridiagonal matrices can be identified with the zeros of polynomials satisfying three-term recursion relations and being therefore members of an orthogonal set. A class of such polynomials is identified some of which feature zeros given by simple formulae involving integer numbers. In the process certain neat formulae are also obtained, which perhaps deserve to be included in standard compilations, since they involve classical polynomials such as the Jacobi polynomials and other 'named' polynomials. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.