Ilić–Stevanović's spectral-moment conjecture for Volkmann trees

Let $n$ and $\Delta$ be positive integers, and let $k\geq 2$. Consider the Volkmann tree on $n$ vertices with maximum degree $\Delta$, as defined in the source.

Ilić–Stevanović's conjecture. The Volkmann tree has maximum spectral moment

$$\operatorname{M}_{2k}$$

among all trees on $n$ vertices with maximum degree $\Delta$.

The conjecture is a corollary of the paper's theorems on greedy trees and spectral moments for fixed degree sequences; the source does not provide an independent resolution status.