Quantitative Fundamental Theorem of Algebra

Abstract

Using subresultants, we modify a recent real-algebraic proof due to Eisermann of the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra ([FTA]) to obtain the following quantitative information: in order to prove the [FTA] for polynomials of degree $d$, the Intermediate Value Theorem ([IVT]) is requested to hold for real polynomials of degree at most $d^2$. We also explain that the classical proof due to Laplace requires [IVT] for real polynomials of exponential degree. These quantitative results highlight the difference in nature of these two proofs.