On a paper of Erod and Turan-Markov inequalities for non-flat convex domains

Abstract

For a convex domain K in the complex plane C, the well-known general Markov inequality asserting that a polynomial p of degree n ||p'|| < c(K) n^2 ||p|| holds. On the other hand for polynomials in general, ||p'|| can be arbitrarily small as compared to ||p||. The situation changes when we assume that the polynomials have all their zeroes in the convex body K. This problem of lower bound for Markov factors was first investigated by Turán in 1939. Turán showed ||p'|| \ge n/2 ||p|| for the unit disk D and ||p'|| > c \sqrt{n} ||p|| for the unit interval I:=[-1,1]. Soon after that, J. Er\H od published a long article, discussing various extensions of the results and methods of Turán. For decades, Er\H od's paper was quoted only for the explicit calculation of the exact constant of the interval case. However, in recent years Levenberg and Poletsky, Erdélyi and also the author investigated Turán's problem for various sets - basically, convex domains. In this context the much richer content of Er\H od's work is to be realized again. Thus, the aim of the paper is twofold. On the one hand we give an account of the half-forgotten, old Hungarian article of Er\H od, also commemorating its author. On the other hand we report on recent developments with particular emphasis on development of one of the key observations of Er\H od, namely, the role of the curvature of the boundary curve in the estimation of the lower bound of Markov factors.