Criterion of reality of zeros in a polynomial sequence satisfying a three-term recurrence relation

Abstract

This paper establishes the necessary and sufficient conditions for the reality of all the zeros in a polynomial sequence $\{P_i\}_{i=1}^{\infty}$ generated by a three-term recurrence relation $P_i(x)+ Q_1(x)P_{i-1}(x) +Q_2(x) P_{i-2}(x)=0$ with the standard initial conditions $P_{0}(x)=1, P_{-1}(x)=0,$ where $Q_1(x)$ and $Q_2(x)$ are arbitrary real polynomials.