Elementary proof of the B. and M. Shapiro conjecture for rational functions

We give a new elementary proof of the following theorem: if all critical points of a rational function g belong to the real line then there exists a fractional linear transformation L such that L(g) is a real rational function. Then we interpret the result in terms of Fuchsian differential equations whose general solution is a polynomial and in terms of electrostatics.Comment: 21 page

Singular perturbation of polynomial potentials in the complex domain with applications to PT-symmetric families

In the first part of the paper, we discuss eigenvalue problems of the form -w"+Pw=Ew with complex potential P and zero boundary conditions at infinity on two rays in the complex plane. We give sufficient conditions for continuity of the spectrum when the leading coefficient of P tends to 0. In the second part, we apply these results to the study of topology and geometry of the real spectral loci of PT-symmetric families with P of degree 3 and 4, and prove several related results on the location of zeros of their eigenfunctions.Comment: The main result on singular perturbation is substantially improved, generalized, and the proof is simplified. 37 pages, 16 figure

On metrics of curvature 1 with four conic singularities on tori and on the sphere

We discuss conformal metrics of curvature 1 on tori and on the sphere, with four conic singularities whose angles are multiples of pi/2. Besides some general results we study in detail the family of such symmetric metrics on the sphere, with angles (pi/2,3pi/2,pi/2,3pi/2).Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure

Metrics with four conic singularities and spherical quadrilaterals

A spherical quadrilateral is a bordered surface homeomorphic to a closed disk, with four distinguished boundary points called corners, equipped with a Riemannian metric of constant curvature 1, except at the corners, and such that the boundary arcs between the corners are geodesic. We discuss the problem of classification of these quadrilaterals and perform the classification up to isometry in the case that two angles at the corners are multiples of pi. The problem is equivalent to classification of Heun's equations with real parameters and unitary monodromy.Comment: 68 pges, 25 figure

Zeros of eigenfunctions of some anharmonic oscillators

We study eigenfunctions of Schrodinger operators -y"+Py on the real line with zero boundary conditions, whose potentials P are real even polynomials with positive leading coefficients. For quartic potentials we prove that all zeros of all eigenfunctions belong to the union of the real and imaginary axes. Similar result holds for sextic potentials and their eigenfunctions with finitely many complex zeros. As a byproduct we obtain a complete classification of such eigenfunctions of sextic potentials.Comment: 22 pages 8 figure

High energy eigenfunctions of one-dimensional Schrodinger operators with polynomial potentials

For a class of one-dimensional Schrodinger operators with polynomial potentials that includes Hermitian and PT-symmetric operators, we show that the zeros of scaled eigenfunctions have a limit disctibution in the complex plane as the eigenvalues tend to infinity. This limit distribution depends only on the degree of potential and on the boundary conditions.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure

Spherical quadrilaterals with three non-integer angles

We classify spherical quadrilaterals up to isometry in the case when one inner angle is a multiple of pi while the other three are not. This is equivalent to classification of Heun's equations with real parameters and one apparent singularity such that the monodromy consists of unitary transformations.Comment: 38 pages, 16 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1409.152