Laguerrian derivatives and related autofunctions are presented that allow building new special functions determined by the action of a differential isomorphism within the space of analytical functions. Such isomorphism can be iterated every time, so that the resulting construction can be re-submitted endlessly in a cyclic way. Some applications of this theory are made in the field of population dynamics and in the solution of Cauchy’s problems for particular linear dynamical systems.

The complex Bernoulli spiral is connected to Grandi curves and Chebyshev polynomials. In this framework, pseudo-Chebyshev polynomials are introduced, and some of their properties are borrowed to form classical trigonometric identities; in particular, a set of orthogonal pseudo-Chebyshev polynomials of half-integer degree is derived.

The third and fourth pseudo-Chebyshev irrational functions of half-integer degree are defined. Their definitions are connected to those of the first- and second-kind pseudo-Chebyshev functions. Their orthogonality properties are shown, with respect to classical weights.

New sets of orthogonal functions, which correspond to the first, second, third, and fourth kind Chebyshev polynomials with half-integer indexes, have been recently introduced. In this article, links of these new sets of irrational functions to the third and fourth kind Chebyshev polynomials are highlighted and their connections with the classical Chebyshev polynomials are shown.

In recent works, starting from the complex Bernoulli spiral and the Grandi roses, sets of irrational functions have been introduced and studied that extend to the fractional degree the polynomials of Chebyshev of the first, second, third and fourth kind. The functions thus obtained are therefore called pseudo-Chebyshev. This article presents a review of the elementary properties of these functions, with the aim of making the topic accessible to a wider audience of readers. The subject is presented as follows. In Section 2 a review of spiral curves is given. In Section 3 the main properties of the classical Chebyshev polynomials are recalled. The Grandi (Rhodonea) curves and possible extensions are introduced in Section 4, and a method for deriving new curves, changing cartesian into polar coordinates, is touched on. The possibility to consider the Grandi curves even for rational indexes allows to introduce in Section 5 the pseudo-Chebyshev functions, which are derived from the Chebyshev polynomials assuming rational values for their degree. The main properties of these functions are shown, including recursions and differential equations. In particular, the case of half-integer degree is examined in Section 6 since, in this case, the pseudo-Chebyshev functions verify even the orthogonality property. As a consequence, new system of irrational orthogonal functions are introduced.