Co-convexial reflector curves with applications

Abstract

The concept of reflector curves for convex compact sets of reflecting type in the complex plane was introduced by the authors in a recent paper (to appear in J. Math. Anal. and Appln.) in their attempt to solve a problem related to Stieltjes and Van Vleck polynomials. Though, in the said paper, certain convex compact sets (e.g. closed discs, closed line segments and the ones with polygonal boundaries) were shown to be of reflecting type, it was only conjectured that all convex compact sets are likewise. The present study not only proves this conjecture and establishes the corresponding results on Stleltjes and Van Vleck polynomials in its full generality as proposed earlier by the authors, but it also furnishes a more general family of curves sharing the properties of confocal ellipses.

Keywords

• generalized Lame' differential equations
• Stieltjes polynomials
• Van Vleck polynomials and co-convexial reflector curves.