On some classical problems concerning L_(infty)-extremal polynomials with constraints

First we consider the following problem which dates back to Chebyshev, Zolotarev and Achieser: among all trigonometric polynomials with given leading coefficients $a_0,...,a_l,$ $b_0,...,b_l \in \mathbb R$ find that one with least maximum norm on $[0,2 \pi].$ We show that the minimal polynomial is on $[0,2 \pi]$ asymptotically equal to a Blaschke product times a constant where the constant is the greatest singular value of the Hankel matrix associated with the $\tau_j = a_j + i b_j.$ As a special case corresponding statements for algebraic polynomials follow. Finally the minimal norm of certain linear functionals on the space of trigonometric polynomials is determined. As a consequence a conjecture by Clenshaw from the sixties on the behavior of the ratio of the truncated Fourier series and the minimum deviation is proved.