Polynomial identity testing and arithmetic circuit lower bounds are two
central questions in algebraic complexity theory. It is an intriguing fact that
these questions are actually related. One of the authors of the present paper
has recently proposed a "real {\tau}-conjecture" which is inspired by this
connection. The real {\tau}-conjecture states that the number of real roots of
a sum of products of sparse univariate polynomials should be polynomially
bounded. It implies a superpolynomial lower bound on the size of arithmetic
circuits computing the permanent polynomial. In this paper we show that the
real {\tau}-conjecture holds true for a restricted class of sums of products of
sparse polynomials. This result yields lower bounds for a restricted class of
depth-4 circuits: we show that polynomial size circuits from this class cannot
compute the permanent, and we also give a deterministic polynomial identity
testing algorithm for the same class of circuits.Comment: 16 page