On the spread of polynomials and its derivatives (Q6638574)

The \emph{spread of a polynomial} \(f\) of order \(n\), with real zeros \(\{z_j\}_{j=1}^n\subset \mathbb{R}\), is the quantity \(\operatorname{sp} (f):=\max_{j,k}|z_j-z_k|\). In work dating back to 1959, \textit{A. Brauer} and \textit{A. C. Mewborn} [Duke Math. J. 26, 653--661 (1959; Zbl 0095.01202)] proved that for a real polynomial, \(f(z)=z^n-a_1z^{n-1}+\cdots+(-1)^na_n\),\N\[\N\mathrm{sp}(f)\leq \sqrt{2\Big(1-\frac{1}{n}\Big)a_1^2-4a_2}.\N\]\NThe purpose of the paper under review is to obtain bounds of this nature for the \emph{spread of two polynomials},\N\[\N\operatorname{sp}(f,g):=\max_{j,k}|z_j-w_k|,\N\]\Nwhere \(g\) is another polynomial of order \(n\) with real zeros \(\{w_k\}_{k=1}^n\). Note that \(\operatorname{sp}(f,f)=\operatorname{sp}(f)\).\N\NThe author provides both upper and lower bounds for \(\operatorname{sp}(f,g)\), under the hypothesis that \(\{z_j\}_{j=1}^n\) and \(\{w_j\}_{j=1}^n\) are sufficiently separated from one another. The two upper bounds established, generalise the Brauer-Mewborn bound. They do not seem to reduce to it in the case \(f=g\), allowing room for improvement in future work. Two lower bounds, are also established. In the second part of the paper the author addresses the question of upper bounds for the \(d\)-th derivative \(\operatorname{sp}(f^{(d)},g^{(d)})\) where \(d\leq n-2\).