On the number of nonreal zeros of real entire functions and the Fourier-Pólya conjecture (Q1577510)

This important paper marks the end of a chapter in the theory of distribution of zeros of real entire functions. The authors present an elegant proof of the Pólya-Wiman theorem and they establish the long-standing open problem termed as the Fourier-Pólya conjecture. These and related problems have been investigated by many eminent mathematicians. The history associated with these problems is particularly interesting. (See, for example, \textit{G. Pólya} [Q. J. Math., Oxf. Ser. 1, 21-34 (1930; JFM 56.0283.01)], for a general discussion of the theme and \textit{G. Pólya} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 49, 178-191 (1943; Zbl 0061.11510)] for a comprehensive survey which covers almost everything in this area up to 1942.) The Pólya-Wiman Theorem. Let \(f(z) = \exp(-\alpha z^ 2)g(z)\) be a real entire function, where \(\alpha \geq 0\) and suppose that the genus of \(g(z)\) is at most 1. If \(f(z)\) has only a finite number of nonreal zeros, then its successive derivatives, from a certain one onward, have only real zeros [\textit{T. Craven, G. Csordas} and \textit{W. Smith}, Ann. Math., II. Ser. 125, 405-431 (1987; Zbl 0625.30036); \textit{T. Craven, G. Csordas} and \textit{W. Smith} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 101, No. 2, 323-326 (1987; Zbl 0645.30020); \textit{Young-One Kim}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 109, No. 4, 1045-1052 (1990; Zbl 0699.30021) andComplex Variables, Theory Appl. 22, No. 3/4, 207-209 (1993; Zbl 0811.30019)]. This theorem confirms the heuristic principle according to which the nonreal zeros of the derivatives \(f^{(n)}(z)\) of a real entire function move toward the real axis when the order of \(f(z)\) is less than 2. The dual principle asserts that the nonreal zeros of the derivatives \(f^{(n)}(z)\) move away from the real axis when the order of \(f(z)\) is greater than 2. The Fourier-Pólya conjecture asserts that one can determine the number of nonreal zeros of a real entire function \(f(z)\) of genus 0 by counting the number of critical points of \(f(z)\); \(f(z)\) has just as many critical points as couples of nonreal zeros. When \(f(z)\) and all its derivatives possess only simple zeros, then the critical points of \(f(z)\) are the abscissae of points where \(f^{(n)}(z)\) has positive minima or negative maxima. The definition of critical points is more elaborate (see the paper under review) if there are multiple zeros. For recent progress in proving this conjecture see \textit{Young-One Kim} [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 204, No. 2, 472-481 (1996; Zbl 0870.30023) and Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 124, No. 3, 819-830 (1996; Zbl 0848.30019)]. After a historical introduction, in Section 2, the authors give a brilliant proof of the Pólya-Wiman theorem. Section 3 is devoted to the proofs of some technical results on the number of critical points of real analytic functions. The authors use these results in Section 4 to prove the Fourier-Pólya conjecture (Theorem 4.1) as well as some of its extensions (Theorems 4.2 and 4.3). By way application of the foregoing theorems, the authors provide simple proofs of several classical results due to Hurwitz, Laguerre and Pólya (Section 5).