On the modes of polynomials derived from nondecreasing sequences (Q625359)

Summary: \textit{Y. Wang} and \textit{Y.-N. Yeh} [Eur. J. Comb. 26, No. 5, 617--627 (2005; Zbl 1076.05010)] proved that if \(P(x)\) is a polynomial with nonnegative and nondecreasing coefficients, then \(P(x+ d)\) is unimodal for any \(d> 0\). A mode of a unimodal polynomial \(f(x)= a_0+a_1 x+\cdots+ a_m x^m\) is an index \(k\) such that \(a_k\) is the maximum coefficient. Suppose that \(M_*(P,d)\) is the smallest mode of \(P(x+ d)\), and \(M^*(P,d)\) the greatest mode. \textit{Y. Wang} and \textit{Y.-N. Yeh} [loc. cit.] conjectured that if \(d_2> d_1> 0\), then \(M_*(P,d_1)\geq M_*(P,d_2)\) and \(M^*(P,d_1)\geq M^*(P,d_2)\). We give a proof of this conjecture.