Paper 2, Section I, 2H2 \mathrm{H}

Topics in Analysis | Part II, 2020

Show that every Legendre polynomial pnp_{n} has nn distinct roots in [1,1][-1,1], where nn is the degree of pnp_{n}.

Let x1,,xnx_{1}, \ldots, x_{n} be distinct numbers in [1,1][-1,1]. Show that there are unique real numbers A1,,AnA_{1}, \ldots, A_{n} such that the formula

11P(t)dt=i=1nAiP(xi)\int_{-1}^{1} P(t) d t=\sum_{i=1}^{n} A_{i} P\left(x_{i}\right)

holds for every polynomial PP of degree less than nn.

Now suppose that the above formula in fact holds for every polynomial PP of degree less than 2n2 n. Show that then x1,,xnx_{1}, \ldots, x_{n} are the roots of pnp_{n}. Show also that i=1nAi=2\sum_{i=1}^{n} A_{i}=2 and that all AiA_{i} are positive.

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