Karlin's conjecture and a question of Pólya (Q2566477)

In the paper it is discussed such problem of Pólya. Pólya's Question. Let \(f\) be a polynomial of degree \(n\) with only real and simple zeros, \(x_1<x_2<\ldots<x_n.\) Is it true that, for any sequence of real numbers \(\{a_0,a_1,\ldots,a_n\}\) such that \(\sum_{j=0}^{n} a_jf^{(j)}\neq 0,\) the number of real zeros of \(\sum_{j=0}^{n} a_jf^{(j)}(x)\) in the interval \((x_n,\infty)\) is not greater than the number of sign changes in the sequence \(\{a_0,a_1,\ldots,a_n\}?\) Pólya noted that this problem is equivalent to the statement: all Wronskian determinants \(W(f^{(j_1)},f^{(j_2)},\ldots,f^{(j_k)}), 0\leq j_1<j_2<\ldots<j_k\leq n\) of any fixed order \(k, k=1,2,\ldots,n+1,\) are nonzero on \((x_n,\infty)\) and have the same sign. In this connection the following problem of Karlin is of interest. Karlin's Conjecture. Let \(f\) be an entire function of the form \[ f(z)= z^m e^{\gamma z}\prod_{k=1}^\infty (1+\alpha_kz), \] where \( m\in {\mathbb N \cup \{0\}}, \gamma\geq 0, \alpha_k\geq0, \sum \alpha_k <\infty.\) Then for all \(n\geq1\) and for all \(x\geq 0\) \[ (-1)^{\frac{n(n+1)}{2}}W(f(x),f^{'}(x),\ldots,f^{(n)}(x))\geq 0. \] The authors exhibit some examples, involving polynomials as well as transcendental entire functions having an infinite number of real negative zeros, which show that Karlin's conjecture and Pólya's conjecture fail in general. There are also considered classes of entire functions for which these conjectures are valid.