Given a polynomial u(x) = x(n) + a(n-1) x(n-1) + ... + a0, a(nu) is-an
-element-of R, nu = 0, 1, ..., n - 1, having only real zeros, we const
ruct a real symmetric tridiagonal matrix whose characteristic polynomi
al is equal to (-1)(n)u(x). This is a complete solution to a problem r
aised and partly solved by M. Fiedler.