A compact generalization of Walsh's two-circle theorems for polynomials and rational functions (Q1815056)

If \(P(z)\) is a polynomial of degree \(n\) having all zeros in the circle \(C_1: |z- c_1 |\leq r_1\) and if \(Q(z)\) is a polynomial having all its zeros in \(C_2: |z-c_2 |\leq r_2\), the authors study the distribution of the zeros of the polynomial \(F(z): = P'(z) Q(z) + \beta P(z) Q'(z)\) for any given complex number \(\beta\). They prove that for every complex number \(\beta \neq- n/m\), the locus of the zero of \(F(z)\) consists of the closed interiors of \(C_1\) if \(n>1\), of \(C_2\) if \(m>1\) and a third circle \(C\) with centre \(c\) and radius \(r\) where \[ c= {nc_2 + \beta mc_1 \over n+ \beta m},\;r= {nr_2+ |\beta |mr_1 \over |n+ \beta m |}. \] If \(\beta= -n/m\) and if the closed interiors of \(C_1\) and \(C_2\) have no point in common, then the two circles contain all the zeros of \(F(z)\). When \(\beta =1\), this gives Walsh's two circle theorem. This result is used to give a generalization of a mean value theorem for polynomials which for \(\beta =1\) reduces to a mean value theorem for polynomials in \textit{M. Marden}'s Geometry of polynomials (1966; Zbl 0162.37101) (p. 91).