Polynomials least deviating from zero in \(L^p(-1;1)\), \(0 \le p \le \infty \), with a constraint on the location of their roots (Q6573638)

Let \(p_n(z)=\prod_{k=1}^n(z-z_k)\) denote an arbitrary monic polynomial of degree \(n\), and define\N\begin{align*}\N\|p_n\|_\infty:={}&\max_{x\in [-1,1]}|p_n(x)|,\\\N\|p_n\|_p:={} &\left(\frac{1}{2}\int_{-1}^1|p_n(x)|^pdx\right)^{1/p},\qquad 0<p<\infty,\\\N\|p_n\|_0:={} &\exp\left(\frac{1}{2}\int_{-1}^1\ln|p_n(x)|dx\right).\N\end{align*}\N\NFor \(R> 0\) and \(0\leq p\leq \infty\), consider the quantity\N\[\N\tau_n(p,R):=\min\left\{\|p_n\|_p:p_n(z)=\prod_{k=1}^n(z-z_k),\quad |z_k|\geq R\right\}.\N\]\NThe paper carries out an investigation on the value of this quantity and the corresponding extremal polynomials for \(0\leq p<\infty\).\N\NIn Assertions 1 and 2, it is shown that the value \(\tau_n(p,R)\) exists, and moreover, if \(R\geq 1\), then every extremal polynomial has its roots on the circle \(|z|=R\).\N\NThe case \(p=\infty\) was investigated by the author in a previous work and in greater generality. In that earlier work, it was proved that (Theorem A of the present paper)\N\begin{align*}\N\tau_n(\infty,R)={}\begin{cases} \sqrt{1+R^2},& n=1,\quad R\geq 0,\\\NR^n,&\quad n>1,\quad R\geq \varrho_n, \end{cases}\N\end{align*}\Nwhere \(\varrho_n=1/\sqrt{2}\) when \(n\) is even, and when \(n\) is odd, \(\varrho_n\) is the unique root that the equation \((\varrho^2-1)^{n-1}(\varrho^2+1)=\varrho^{2n}\) has in the interval \((1/\sqrt{2},1/\sqrt[4]{2})\). The value \(\tau_n(\infty,R)\) is attained, for example, for the polynomial\N\begin{align*}\Np^*_n(z)=\begin{cases}(z^2-R^2)^{m}, & \ n=2m,\\\N(z^2-R^2)^{m} (z\pm iR), & \ n=2m+1, \end{cases}\N\end{align*}\Nbut the extremal polynomial is not unique.\N\NThe present paper focuses on the case \(0\leq p<\infty\) and \(R\geq 1\). A complete solution is found for \(p=0\), as given by Theorem 1:\N\begin{align*}\N\tau_n(0,R)=\begin{cases} (2/e)^n,& \ R=1,\\\Ne^{-n}\left((R+1)^{R+1}/(R-1)^{R-1}\right)^{n/2},&\ R>1, \end{cases}\N\end{align*}\Nand the extremal polynomials are \((z-R)^k(z+R)^{n-k}\), \(0\leq k\leq n\).\N\NFor the case \(0<p<\infty\), the value of \(\tau_n(p,R)\) is found explicitly for \(n\) even and given in Theorem 2: if \(0<p<\infty\), \(R\geq 1\), and \(n=2m\) is even, then\N\[\N\tau_n(\infty,R)=\left(\frac{1}{2}\int_{-1}^1(R^2-x^2)^{mp}dx\right)^{1/p}.\N\]\NIn particular, the polynomial \((z^2-R^2)^m\) is extremal.\N\NFor the odd values of \(n=1\) and \(n=3\), the solution is found for \(p=2\) as given by Theorem 3: for all \(R\geq 1\), we have\N\begin{align*}\N\tau_1(2,R)={} &\sqrt{R^2+\frac{1}{3}}\\\N\tau_3(2,R)={} &\sqrt{R^6-\frac{R^4}{3}-\frac{R^2}{5}+\frac{1}{7}}\,.\N\end{align*}\NAny polynomial \((z+Re^{it})\), \(t\in \mathbb{R}\), is extremal for \(n=1\), and any polynomial \((z^2-R^2)(z+Re^{it})\), \(t\in \mathbb{R}\), is extremal for \(n=3\).\N\NThe paper concludes with a series representation of the quantity \(\tau_{2m}(p,R)\) for \(0<p<1\) and \(R\geq 1\).