Nonnegative product linearization of the Askey-Wilson polynomials is shown for a wide range of parameters. As a corollary we obtain Rahman's result on the continuous q-Jacobi polynomials with α ≥ β > — 1 and α + β + 1 ≥ 0.

We use generating functions to express orthogonality relations in the form of q-beta. integrals. The integrand of such a q-beta. integral is then used as a weight function for a new set of orthogonal or biorthogonal functions. This method is applied to the continuous q-Hermite polynomials, the Al-Salam-Carlitz polynomials, and the polynomials of Szegö and leads naturally to the Al-Salam-Chihara polynomials then to the Askey-Wilson polynomials, the big q-Jacobi polynomials and the biorthogonal rational functions of Al-Salam and Verma, and some recent biorthogonal functions of Al-Salam and Ismail.

We give complex weight functions with respect to which the Jacobi, Laguerre, little q-Jacobi and Askey-Wilson polynomials are orthogonal. The complex functions obtained are weight functions in a wider range of parameters than the real weight functions. They also provide an alternative to the recent distributional weight functions of Morton and Krall, and the more recent hyperfunction weight functions of Kim.