Differentiation is better than midpoint

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Let ff be an entire function of order 11 that is real on the real axis and has only real zeros, and list its zeros as zjz_j in increasing order. If q<pq<p are consecutive zeros of f′f', then

inf⁡n12(zn+2−zn)≤p−q≤sup⁡n12(zn+2−zn).\inf_n \frac{1}{2}(z_{n+2}-z_n)\le p-q\le \sup_n \frac{1}{2}(z_{n+2}-z_n).

Differentiation is better than midpoint conjecture. The gaps between consecutive zeros of f′f' lie between the infimum and supremum of the corresponding two-step midpoint-process gaps of the zeros of ff.

This would formalize the idea that differentiation evens out zero spacings at least as effectively as the midpoint process. The supplied text presents it as a proposed result and gives no resolution, so its status is open.

References

Primary source

David W. Farmer and Robert C. Rhoades, “Differentiation Evens Out Zero Spacings”, arXiv:math/0310252 (2004).

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