Rational unimodular interpolation on the unit circle (Q879667)

\textit{W. B. Jones} and \textit{S. Ruscheweyh} [Constr. Approx. 3, No. 4, 405--409 (1987; Zbl 0634.41007)] solved the following interpolation problem: Given \(n\) distinct points \(z_ 1,\dots,z_ n\in\mathbb{C}\) and \(n\) points \(w_ 1,\dots,w_ n\in\mathbb{C}\) with \(| z_ j| =| w_ j| =1, j=1,\dots, n\), find a finite Blaschke product \(B\) satisfying the interpolation condition \(B(z_ j)=w_ j, j=1,\dots,n\). In fact, they proved non-constructively that there always exists such a Blaschke product of degree at most \(n-1\), improving previous results of \textit{D. G. Cantor} and \textit{R. R. Phelps} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 16, 523--525 (1965; Zbl 0146.09604)] and of \textit{R. Younis} [ibid. 78, No. 3, 451--452 (1980; Zbl 0439.30020)]. In this paper the author considers the following more general interpolation problem: Given \(n\) distinct points \(z_ 1,\dots,z_ n\in\mathbb{C}\) and \(n\) points \(w_ 1,\dots,w_ n\in\mathbb{C}\) with \(| z_ j| =| w_ j| =1, j=1,\dots, n\), find a rational function \(b(z)\), unimodular on the unit circle \(\mathbb T\), that is, one of the form \[ b(z)=\frac{\alpha_0+\alpha_1z+\cdots+\alpha_ m z^ m}{\overline{\alpha_ m}+\overline{\alpha_{m\!-\!1}}z+\cdots+ \overline{\alpha_ 0}z^ m} \] and of as low degree \(m\) as possible satisfying the interpolation condition \(b(z_ j)=w_ j, j=1,\dots,n\) (note that the finite Blaschke products of degree \(m\) are rational functions of degree \(m\) unimodular on \(\mathbb T\)). Special attention is paid to the cases where the interpolant of minimal degree is uniquely determined.