A conjecture of Schoenberg (Q1969248)

Let \(P_n(z)=\prod_1^n(z-z_j)\) be a monic polynomial with real or complex coefficients and let \(R(P_n):=(\frac 1n\sum_1^n|z_j|^2)^{1/2}\) be its quadratic mean radius. \textit{I. J. Schoenberg} [Am. Math. Mon. 93 , 8-13 (1986; Zbl 0627.30001)] conjectured that if \(\sum_1^nz_j=0\) then \[ R(P^\prime_n)\leq\sqrt{\frac{n-2}{n-1}}R(P_n)\tag{\(\ast\)} \] with equality iff all zeros \(z_j\) of \(P_n\) lie on a straight line through the origin. He also proved this conjecture for \(n=3\) and for polynomials of the form \(z^n+a_kz^{n-k}\). \textit{K. Q. Ivanov} and \textit{A. Sharma} [Serdica Math. J. 22, No. 4, 497-514 (1996; Zbl 0939.30006)] have shown that the conjecture is true for \(P_n(z)=(z-z_1)^{m_1}(z-z_2)^{m_2}(z-z_3)^{m_3}\) with \(\sum_{j=1}^3m_jz_j=0\). In this paper, the authors give several classes of polynomials for which \((\ast)\) can actually be proved. One of these classes reduces to the extension due to Ivanov and Sharma.