[Math] Showing Hermite polynomials are orthogonal

orthogonal-polynomials

I need to show that two Hermite polynomials are orthogonal, but I'm a little confused.

I have: $H_2(x) = 4x^2-2$ and $H_3(x) = 8x^3-12x$

I know I need to integrate $$\int_{-L}^L (4x^2-2)(8x^3-12x) dx=0,$$ because it says I need to show it's orthogonal on $[-L,L]$, where $L$ is a constant.

Do I just pick random values for $L$, or is there some sort of procedure?

Best Answer

Note that the integrand is an even function--$4x^2-2$--times an odd function--$8x^3-12x$--so is an odd function. This function is a polynomial, and so is continuous. Given any $L>0$, we have that the integral over $[-L,L]$ of an odd function (that's continuous there) is $0$.