Critical points of real entire functions whose zeros are distributed in an infinite strip (Q1353657): Difference between revisions

In 1930 \textit{G. Pólya} published a celebrated paper [Q. J. Math., Oxf. Ser. 1, 21-34 (1930; FJM 56.028301)] in which he formulated three famous conjectures (``hypothetical theorems''). Recently, two of these conjectures have been proved. But Pólya's third conjecture which states that a real entire function of genus 0 has just as many critical points as couples of nonreal zeros, has remained open. (See the article for the precise definition of the notion of a \textit{critical point}.) In [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 124, No. 3, 819-830 (1996; Zbl 0848.30019)] the author has shown that if the zeros of a real entire function \(f(z)\) lie in a strip \(|\Im z|\leq A\), for some \(A>0\), and if the exponent of convergence of the nonreal zeros of \(f(z)\) is less than \(1-\rho /2\), where \(\rho\) denotes the order of \(f(z)\), then \(f(z)\) has just as many critical points as couples of nonreal zeros. By first improving on this result, in this important paper under review, the author proves Pólya's conjecture under the supplementary assumption that the zeros of a real entire function of genus 0, all lie in a strip of the form \(|\Im z|\leq A\), for some \(A>0\).