An extension of Vietoris's inequalities (Q2642510)

For which positive nonincreasing sequences \((a_k)_{0\leq k\leq n}\) is the cosine polynomial \(\sum_{k=0}^n a_k\cos kx\) positive on \([0,\pi\mathclose[\)? \textit{L. Vietoris} [Österr. Akad. Wiss., Math.-naturw. Kl., S.-Ber., Abt. II 167, 125--135 (1958; Zbl 0088.27402); Österr. Akad. Wiss., Math.-naturw. Kl. Anz. 192--193 (1959; Zbl 0090.04301)] gave a general sufficient condition: \(a_{2k}\leq(1-1/2k)a_{2k-1}\). It has been noted that this condition may be improved: in particular, \textit{G. Brown} and \textit{Q. H. Yin}, [Acta Sci. Math. 67, 221--247 (2001; Zbl 0980.42003)] proposed to determine the optimal constant \(\alpha_0\) in place of the \(1/2\) above. The author proves that \(\alpha_0\) is the root of the equation \(\int_0^{3\pi/2}t^{-\alpha}\cos t\,dt=0\) in the interval \(\mathopen]0.308443, 0.308444\mathclose[\): the condition \(a_{2k}\leq(1-\alpha_0/k)a_{2k-1}\) is sufficient for \(\sum_{k=0}^n a_k\cos kx\) to be positive, whereas this sum admits no uniform lower bound if \(a_{2k}=a_{2k+1}={k-\alpha\choose k}\) and \(\alpha<\alpha_0\). Vietoris' theorem occurs in the proof of other inequalities, so that the following consequences are derived. (1) An improvement of a result of \textit{R. A.~Askey} and \textit{J. Steinig} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 187, 295--307 (1974; Zbl 0244.42002)]. Let \(b_k\) be a positive nonincreasing sequence such that \(b_{k}\leq(1-\alpha_0/k)b_{k-1}\). The \(n\) real and simple zeros \(s_1<\dots<s_n\) of \(\sum_{k=0}^n b_k\cos(n-k)x\) in \(\mathopen]0,\pi\mathclose[\) satisfy \((k-1/2)\pi/(n+1/4)<s_k<k\pi/(n+1/4)\). (2) Sufficient conditions for sums of Gegenbauer polynomials and Jacobi polynomials to be positive.