Weighted polynomial inequalities

For the weights exp (?|x|^λ), 0<λ≤1, we prove the exact analogue of the Markov-Bernstein inequality. The Markov-Bernstein constant turns out to be of order logn for λ=1 and of order 1 for 0<λ<1. The proof is based on the solution of the problem of how fast a polynomialP _n can decrease on ?1,1] ifP _n (0)=1. The answer to this problem has several other consequences in different directions; among others, it leads to a general theorem about the incompleteness of the set of polynomials in weightedL ^p spaces.