Geometry of Limits of Zeros of Polynomial Sequences of Type (1,1)

We study the root distribution of some univariate polynomials satisfying a recurrence of order two with linear polynomial coefficients. We show that the set of non-isolated limits of zeros of the polynomials is either an arc, or a circle, or an interval, or a “lollipop.” As an application, we discover a sufficient and necessary condition for the universal real-rootedness of the polynomials, subject to certain sign condition on the coefficients of the recurrence. Moreover, we obtain the sharp bound for all the zeros when they are real.