On the Behaviour of Zeros of Jacobi Polynomials

Denote by x_n,k(α,β) and x_n,k(λ)=x_n,k(λ−1/2,λ−1/2) the zeros, in decreasing order, of the Jacobi polynomial P^(α,β)_n(x) and of the ultraspherical (Gegenbauer) polynomial C^λ_n(x), respectively. The monotonicity of x_n,k(α,β) as functions of α and β, α,β>−1, is investigated. Necessary conditions such that the zeros of P^(a,b)_n(x) are smaller (greater) than the zeros of P^(α,β)_n(x) are provided. A. Markov proved that x_n,k(a,b)<x_n,k(α,β) (x_n,k(a,b)>x_n,k(α,β)) for every n and each k, 1kn if a>α and b<β (a<α and b>β). We prove the converse statement of Markov's theorem. The question of how large the function f_n(λ) could be such that the products f_n(λ)x_n,k(λ), k=1,…,[n/2] are increasing functions of λ, for λ>−1/2, is also discussed. Elbert and Siafarikas proved that f_n(λ)=(λ+(2n²+1)/(4n+2))^1/2 obeys this property. We establish the sharpness of their result.