Trace minmax functions and the radical Laguerre-Pólya class (Q2226536)

Given a function \(f: (a, b) \to \mathbb R\) and an \(n\times n\) Hermitian matrix \(X\), \(f (X)\) is defined via matrix functional calculus: \(f(X): = U^* \text{diag} (\lambda_1, \dots, \lambda_n) U\), where \(X = U^* \text{diag} (\lambda_1, \dots, \lambda_n) U\) and \(U\) is a unitary matrix. Let us denote \(A \le B\) if \(B - A\) is positive semidefinite, that is, the Löwner order on the space of \(n\times n\) Hermitian matrices. The author introduces the trace minmax functions \(f: (a, b) \to \mathbb R\) satisfying the inequality\[\text{tr} f (A) + \text{tr} f (C) \ge \text{tr} f (B) + \text{tr} f (D),\] when \(A\le B \le C\) are Hermitian matrices, \(D = A + C - B\), and the spectra of \(A, B, C, D\) are in \((a, b)\). Given \(f: (a, b) \to \mathbb R\), the author shows that the following statements are equivalent: (a) \(f\) is trace minmax; (b) \(f'\) is matrix monotone on \((a,b)\); (c) \(f\) analytically continues to a self-map of the upper complex half plane. As a corollary, \(f\) is matrix convex if it is trace minmax. A positive function \(g:(a,b)\to {\mathbb R}^{\ge 0}\) is determinant isoperimetric whenever \[\det g(A) \det g(C) \le \det g(B) \det g(D),\]for \(A, B, C, D\) as above. The author shows that determinant isoperimetric functions are in the radical of the Laguerre-Pólya class and gives an isoperimetric inequality. An integral representation for such functions, which is essentially a continuous version of the Hadamard factorization for functions in the Laguerre-Pólya class, is derived. Some equivalent formulations of the Riemann hypothesis are also given.