Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 July 2016
The paper characterizes matrices which have a given system of vectors orthogonal with respect to a given probability distribution as its right eigenvectors. Results of Hoare and Rahman are unified in this context, then all matrices with a given orthogonal polynomial system as right eigenvectors under the constraint a0j = 0 for j ≥ 2 are specified. The only stochastic matrices P = {pij} satisfying p00 + p01 = 1 with the Hahn polynomials as right eigenvectors have the form of the Moran mutation model.