A unified approach to polynomial sequences with only real zeros

We give new sufficient conditions for a sequence of polynomials to have only real zeros based on the method of interlacing zeros. As applications we derive several well-known facts, including the reality of zeros of orthogonal polynomials, matching polynomials, Narayana polynomials and Eulerian polynomials. We also settle certain conjectures of Stahl on genus polynomials by proving them for certain classes of graphs, while showing that they are false in general.Comment: 19 pages, Advances in Applied Mathematics, in pres

Stable multivariate WW-Eulerian polynomials

We prove a multivariate strengthening of Brenti's result that every root of the Eulerian polynomial of type $B$ is real. Our proof combines a refinement of the descent statistic for signed permutations with the notion of real stability-a generalization of real-rootedness to polynomials in multiple variables. The key is that our refined multivariate Eulerian polynomials satisfy a recurrence given by a stability-preserving linear operator. Our results extend naturally to colored permutations, and we also give stable generalizations of recent real-rootedness results due to Dilks, Petersen, and Stembridge on affine Eulerian polynomials of types $A$ and $C$. Finally, although we are not able to settle Brenti's real-rootedness conjecture for Eulerian polynomials of type $D$, nor prove a companion conjecture of Dilks, Petersen, and Stembridge for affine Eulerian polynomials of types $B$ and $D$, we indicate some methods of attack and pose some related open problems.Comment: 17 pages. To appear in J. Combin. Theory Ser.

Recurrences for Eulerian polynomials of type B and type D

We introduce new recurrences for the type B and type D Eulerian polynomials, and interpret them combinatorially. These recurrences are analogous to a well-known recurrence for the type A Eulerian polynomials. We also discuss their relationship to polynomials introduced by Savage and Visontai in connection to the real-rootedness of the corresponding Eulerian polynomials

Mutual Interlacing and Eulerian-like Polynomials for Weyl Groups

We use the method of mutual interlacing to prove two conjectures on the real-rootedness of Eulerian-like polynomials: Brenti's conjecture on $q$-Eulerian polynomials for Weyl groups of type $D$, and Dilks, Petersen, and Stembridge's conjecture on affine Eulerian polynomials for irreducible finite Weyl groups. For the former, we obtain a refinement of Brenti's $q$-Eulerian polynomials of type $D$, and then show that these refined Eulerian polynomials satisfy certain recurrence relation. By using the Routh--Hurwitz theory and the recurrence relation, we prove that these polynomials form a mutually interlacing sequence for any positive $q$, and hence prove Brenti's conjecture. For $q=1$, our result reduces to the real-rootedness of the Eulerian polynomials of type $D$, which were originally conjectured by Brenti and recently proved by Savage and Visontai. For the latter, we introduce a family of polynomials based on Savage and Visontai's refinement of Eulerian polynomials of type $D$. We show that these new polynomials satisfy the same recurrence relation as Savage and Visontai's refined Eulerian polynomials. As a result, we get the real-rootedness of the affine Eulerian polynomials of type $D$. Combining the previous results for other types, we completely prove Dilks, Petersen, and Stembridge's conjecture, which states that, for every irreducible finite Weyl group, the affine descent polynomial has only real zeros.Comment: 28 page