Integral and classified real-root conjecture for peak polynomials

Let S={i1<i2<<is}S=\{i_1<i_2<\cdots<i_s\} be an admissible peak set, and let pS(x)p_S(x) be its peak polynomial. The roots of pS(x)p_S(x) are the complex numbers xx satisfying pS(x)=0p_S(x)=0.

Integral and classified real-root conjecture. If all roots of pS(x)p_S(x) are real, then all of them are integral. Moreover, pS(x)p_S(x) has only real roots if and only if

S={2},S={2,4},S={3},S={3,5},S=\{2\},\quad S=\{2,4\},\quad S=\{3\},\quad S=\{3,5\},

or

S={i1<i2<<is<is+3},S=\{i_1<i_2<\cdots<i_s<i_s+3\},

or

S={i1<i2<<is<is+3<is+5}.S=\{i_1<i_2<\cdots<i_s<i_s+3<i_s+5\}.

The conjecture gives both an integrality prediction for real roots and a complete proposed classification of admissible peak sets whose peak polynomials are real-rooted. The paper says that the listed families have been shown to have only integral roots, while the converse direction remains unproved.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Sara Billey, Matthew Fahrbach and Alan Talmage, “Coefficients and roots of peak polynomials”, arXiv:1410.8506 (2016).

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