A recursive algorithm for constructing generalized Sturm sequence (Q1841471)

As is known, a generalized Sturm sequence (GSS), as well as the classical Sturm sequence, plays a very important role in real roots classification of algebraic equations, but it is very difficult to compute it with symbolic coefficients. \textit{L. González-Vega}, \textit{T. Reico}, \textit{H. Lombardi} and \textit{M.-F. Roy} [Caviness (ed.) et al., Quantifier elimination and cylindrical algebraic decomposition, 300-316 (1998; Zbl 0900.12002)] introduced the Sturm-Habicht sequence which generalized the work of \textit{W. Habicht} [Comment. Math. Helv. 21, 99-116 (1948; Zbl 0029.24402)]. Although the above sequence is easier to compute compared with the conventional approach, such a sequence is not the Sturm sequence in the usual sense because there might be zero-polynomials in this sequence. In this paper, the authors use a recursive method to construct GSS for two parametric polynomials via the subresultant polynomial chain of the two polynomials avoiding complicated division operations. They establish a connection between GSS and the subresultant polynomial chain of two polynomials and an algorithm that computes the leading coefficients and degrees of the GSS for the infinite interval case. The algorithm has been implemented in Maple and is efficient for constructing the leading terms of the GSS for polynomials with symbolic coefficients.