Forsgård–Shapiro coefficient-difference bound for real zeros

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Let f(z)=∑k=0nakzkf(z)=\sum_{k=0}^n a_kz^k be a polynomial with positive coefficients. Set a−1=an+1=0a_{-1}=a_{n+1}=0 and

c~k=(k+1)ak2−kak−1ak+1.\tilde c_k=(k+1)a_k^2-ka_{k-1}a_{k+1}.

Let 0=k1<k2<⋯<km=n0=k_1<k_2<\dots<k_m=n be the indices for which c~ki>0\tilde c_{k_i}>0, and let v(f)v(f) be the number of changes in the sequence of parities {ki mod 2}i=0m\{k_i\bmod 2\}_{i=0}^m.

Forsgård–Shapiro coefficient-difference conjecture. The number of real zeros of ff does not exceed v(f)v(f).

The source presents this as an open conjecture based on experimental motivation.

References

Primary source

B. Shapiro, “Problems around polynomials - the good, the bad and the ugly ...”, arXiv:1503.05295 (2015).

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