Pólya operators. II: Complete concavity (Q789584)

A function \(f\in C^{\infty}(0,1)\) is called completely convex if \((- 1)^ nf^{(2n)}(x)\geq 0\) holds for all \(n\geq 0\). A classical result of \textit{D. V. Widder} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 51, 387-398 (1942; Zbl 0061.115)] states that every completely convex function has a series expansion by means of the Lidstone polynomials \(\ell_ n\): \[ f(x) = c \sin\pi x + \sum^\infty_{n=0} (-1)^ n f^{(2n)} (0)\ell_ n (1-x) + (-1)^ n f^{(2n)}(1)\ell_ n(x), \] where \(c\geq 0\) and the convergence is uniformly in all derivatives. \textit{D. Leeming} and \textit{A. Sharma} [Inequalities III, Proc. 3rd Symp., Los Angeles 1969, 177-199 (1972; Zbl 0302.30029); \textit{S. P. Pethe} and A. Sharma, SIAM J. Math. Anal. 3, 546-558 (1973; Zbl 0242.41001); Rocky Mt. J. Math. 3, 591-617 (1973; Zbl 0272.41002)] have generalized Widder's result to certain other series expansions, using, for example, the data \(f^{(pn+i)}(0)\), \(f^{(pn)}(1)\) (\(p\geq 2\) fixed, \(i=0,...,p-2\), \(n\geq 0)\). It was left open then whether for any \(p\geq 2\) and any periodic repetition of an independent subset of \(\{f^{(j)}(0),f^{(j)}(1)\); 0\(\leq j\leq p-1\}\) a similar expansion result would be true. Here it is shown that this is indeed the case and, in fact, a corresponding theorem holds for the class of Pólya operators and their associated series [(*) see the paper reviewed above]. The proofs are based on the total positivity properties developed in (*).