The Khavinson-Shapiro conjecture and polynomial decompositions (Q624608): Difference between revisions

The starting point of the considerations is the following statement about polynomial decompositions: Let \(\psi\) be a polynomial of degree \(2k\) with real coefficients such that the principal part (homogeneous part of order \(2k\)) \(\psi_{2k}\) is nonnegative. Then, to a given polynomial \(f\) with real coefficients there exist unique polynomials \(q_f\) and \(h_f\) with real coefficients such that \[ f= \psi q_f+ h_f\quad\text{ and }\quad \Delta^k h_f= 0. \] The decomposition is degree preserving. This statement is related to the polynomial solvability of Dirichlet problems in special geometries. So, the solutions for polynomial data functions of the Dirichlet problem for the ellipsoid are polynomials. The authors' considerations are motivated by a conjecture of Khavinson-Shapiro: The geometry is an ellipsoid if for every polynomial \(f\) the solution of the Dirichlet problem \(u_f\) is: (i) a polynomial and, respectively, (ii) entire. An important step to prove this conjecture should be the proof of the following conjecture: Suppose that \(\psi\) is a polynomial with real coefficients such that every polynomial \(f\) with real coefficients has a decomposition \(f= \psi q_f+ h_f\), where \(h_f\) is polyharmonic of order \(k\). Then \(\text{deg\,}\psi\leq 2k\). The main result of the paper is the proof of this conjecture under the degree condition \(\operatorname{deg} q_f\leq\operatorname{deg} f+ C\), where \(C\) is a positive constant.