Suppose for contradiction that all 101 polynomials have all real roots. Let Pk(x) denote the k-th polynomial:
Pk(x)=a100+kx100+100a99+kx99+a98+kx98+a97+kx97+⋯+a2+kx2+a1+kx+ak,
where all indices are modulo 101.
Note that all coefficients ai are positive reals.
Let S be the 101×101 matrix whose k-th row (for k=0,1,…,100) is the vector of coefficients of Pk(x), i.e.,
(a100+k, 100a99+k, a98+k, a97+k, …, a2+k, a1+k, ak)
with indices modulo 101.
Let us consider the sum of all these polynomials:
k=0∑100Pk(x)=k=0∑100(a100+kx100+100a99+kx99+a98+kx98+⋯+a1+kx+ak)
Let us compute the coefficient of xm in this sum for m=0,1,…,100.
- For m=100, the coefficient is ∑k=0100a100+k=∑k=0100ak (since 100+k runs over all residues mod 101 as k runs from 0 to 100).
- For m=99, the coefficient is ∑k=0100100a99+k=100∑k=0100ak.
- For m=98, the coefficient is ∑k=0100a98+k=∑k=0100ak.
- For m=97, the coefficient is ∑k=0100a97+k=∑k=0100ak.
- ...
- For m=1, the coefficient is ∑k=0100a1+k=∑k=0100ak.
- For m=0, the coefficient is ∑k=0100ak.
So, the sum is:
k=0∑100Pk(x)=(k=0∑100ak)x100+100(k=0∑100ak)x99+(k=0∑100ak)x98+⋯+(k=0∑100ak)x0
That is,
k=0∑100Pk(x)=(k=0∑100ak)(x100+100x99+x98+x97+⋯+x2+x+1)
Now, ∑k=0100ak>0 since all ak>0.
Therefore, the sum of all 101 polynomials is a positive constant times the polynomial
Q(x)=x100+100x99+x98+x97+⋯+x2+x+1
But Q(x) is a degree 100 polynomial with real coefficients. Let us check whether Q(x) can have all real roots.
Suppose Q(x) has all real roots. But the coefficient of x99 is 100, which is much larger than the other coefficients (which are all 1). For a real-rooted degree 100 polynomial with all positive coefficients, the sequence of coefficients must be log-concave (by Newton's inequalities). That is, for all i, ai2≥ai−1ai+1.
But for x99, the coefficient is 100, and for x100 and x98, the coefficients are 1 each. So,
1002=10,000≥1⋅1=1
which is true, but let's check the log-concavity at x99:
1002≥1⋅1
which is true, but let's check at x98:
12≥100⋅1⟹1≥100
which is false.
Therefore, the sequence of coefficients is not log-concave, so Q(x) cannot have all real roots.
But Q(x) is a sum of polynomials, each of which (by assumption) has all real roots. The sum of real-rooted polynomials with positive coefficients is also real-rooted only if the sequence of coefficients is log-concave. Since Q(x) is not real-rooted, at least one of the Pk(x) cannot be real-rooted.
Therefore, it is impossible that all 101 polynomials have all roots real.