Truncated Moment Problems and the Extension Property on Monomial Curves

Abstract

In several papers, Stochel and Szafraniec studied moment problems on algebraic sets from an operator-theoretic perspective, investigating when positive definite sequences satisfying polynomial relations admit representing measures. Within this framework, Stochel introduced type A sets, and Bisgaard classified the plane curves defined by relations between two monomials that have this property. Curto and Fialkow introduced a stronger, truncated version of the type A property, requiring that the existence of a positive semidefinite extension of prescribed degree guarantees the existence of a representing measure. Motivated by Bisgaard's classification, we determine which plane curves defined by relations between two monomials satisfy this extension property. In the affirmative cases, we obtain explicit bounds on the required extension degree. In the negative cases, we construct truncated sequences that admit positive semidefinite extensions of arbitrarily high order but have no representing measure supported on the curve. These constructions yield explicit polynomials that are nonnegative on the corresponding curves but are not sums of squares in their coordinate rings. In the affirmative cases, we also derive explicit degree bounds for sums-of-squares certificates of strictly positive polynomials.