The Narayana transformation

Abstract

For $m\in\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 0}$, let \[ N_{n,m}(x)={}_2F_1(-n,-n-m;m+1;x), \] which specializes to the Narayana polynomials of types $B$ and $A$ for $m=0$ and $m=1$, respectively. We prove that the associated basis transformation \[ T_{N_m}\left(\sum_{k=0}^n a_kx^k\right)=\sum_{k=0}^n a_kN_{k,m}(x) \] maps every real-rooted polynomial with nonnegative coefficients to a real-rooted polynomial. The proof is based on the rectangular additive convolution of polynomials. We then apply this result to products of lower triangular matrices and obtain a general criterion ensuring that their row generating functions remain real-rooted. As consequences, we recover this property for powers and products of several classical triangular matrices, including Pascal's triangle, the Stirling triangles, and the Narayana triangles of types $A$ and $B$. We conclude with conjectures concerning the squares of the Eulerian and Delannoy triangles.