The Symmetric Fourth Painlevé Hierarchy and Associated Special Polynomials

In this paper two families of rational solutions and associated special polynomials for the equations in the symmetric fourth Painlevé hierarchy are studied. The structure of the roots of these polynomials is shown to be highly regular in the complex plane. Further representations are given of the associated special polynomials in terms of Schur functions. The properties of these polynomials are compared and contrasted with the special polynomials associated with rational solutions of the fourth Painlevé equation.