Sharp Diameter Bounds for Nonnegative Cyclotomic Multiples

Abstract

Let \(N\ge2\) and let \(p\) be its least prime divisor. We prove that every nonzero polynomial with nonnegative real coefficients divisible by \(Φ_N\) has support diameter at least \((p-1)N/p\). Equality holds precisely for positive scalar multiples of monomial shifts of the \(p\)-term geometric sum \(\sum_{j=0}^{p-1} X^{jN/p}\), thereby proving a conjecture of Steinberger. The proof turns cyclotomic divisibility into the vanishing of the first \(p-1\) Fourier moments of a positive measure on the circle and then applies a classical extremal trigonometric polynomial. As a consequence, we establish the Coven--Meyerowitz diameter bound under their tiling conditions and determine its equality cases. Longer initial intervals of vanishing Fourier coefficients yield stronger diameter bounds, including an explicit refinement in terms of the prime-power divisor sets. The extremal trigonometric polynomial also yields a quantitative concentration estimate for measures and cyclotomic multiples with near-minimal support diameter.