TITLE: Invertiblity of the Derivative Matrix ?! (to use Inverse function Theorem)
QUESTION [10 upvotes]: In the Analysis2 midterm exam, we had the following problem:

Let the equation $a_nx^n+\cdots+a_1x+a_0=0$ has $n$ simple real roots (distinct) $\{\alpha_1,\cdots,\alpha_n\}$. Prove that the above equation has still $n$ distinct real roots when the change in coefficients is small enough !

I'm pretty sure that $(a_1,\cdots,a_n,\alpha)\mapsto a_n\alpha^n+\cdots+a_1\alpha+a_0$ plus implicit function theorem will work. But it didn't came to my mind.
Instead, I thought that the coefficients are $C^\infty$ function of the roots by Vietta Theorem. So I hoped the map $\psi:(\alpha_1,\cdots,\alpha_n)\mapsto(a_0,\cdots,a_{n-1})$ has a full rank derivative at the current roots and start to apply Inverse function Theorem to conclude that, locally, $(\alpha_1,\cdots,\alpha_n)$ is $C^\infty$ diffeomorphism map of $(a_1,\cdots,a_n)$.
Hence, I conjectured the following proposition :

Conjecture. We know by Vietta's Theorem that :
  $$\left\{\begin{array}{ll}
\psi_1=a_0=(-1)^n \alpha_1\cdots\alpha_n\\
\psi_2=a_1=(-1)^{n-1} \displaystyle\sum_{r=1}^n \alpha_1\cdots\hat{\alpha_r}\cdots\alpha_n\\
\vdots\\
\psi_{n-1}=a_{n-2}=\displaystyle\sum_{i,j=1}^n \alpha_i\alpha_j\\
\psi_{n}=a_{n-1}=-(\alpha_1+\cdots+\alpha_n)
\end{array}\right.$$
Then the matrix 
  $$D_{(\alpha_1,\cdots,\alpha_n)}\psi=\left[\begin{matrix}
\frac{\partial\psi_1}{\partial\alpha_1}&\cdots&\frac{\partial\psi_1}{\partial\alpha_n}\\
\vdots&\ddots\\
\frac{\partial\psi_n}{\partial\alpha_1}&&\frac{\partial\psi_n}{\partial\alpha_n}
\end{matrix}\right]=
\left(\begin{matrix}
(-1)^n\alpha_2\cdots\alpha_{n}&(-1)^n\alpha_1\alpha_3\cdots\alpha_{n}&\color{red}{\cdots}&(-1)^n\alpha_1\cdots\alpha_{n-1}\\
\color{red}{\vdots}&\color{red}{\ddots}&\color{red}{\vdots}\\
\alpha_2+\cdots+\alpha_{n}&\alpha_1+\alpha_3+\cdots+\alpha_{n}&\color{red}{\cdots}&\alpha_1+\cdots+\alpha_{n-1}\\
-1&-1&\color{red}{\cdots}&-1
\end{matrix}\right)$$
  is Invertible, whenever $\alpha_j$s are pairwise distinct.

For case $n=2$ and $n=3$, I prove that $\det\big( D_{(\alpha_1,\cdots,\alpha_n)}\psi\big)=0$ if and only if $\alpha_i=\alpha_j$ for some $i\neq j$.
But I don't know what to do for general $n$. Is it a famous matrix ? Is this conjecture correct for general $n$?

Proof for $n=2$ and $n=3$ :
n=2 :$\quad D_{(\alpha,\beta)}\psi=\left[\begin{matrix}
\beta&\alpha\\
-1&-1
\end{matrix}\right]$. So, $\boxed{\det(D_{\alpha,\beta}\psi)=0 \leftrightarrow \alpha=\beta\rightarrow\bot}$

n=3$ :\quad D_{(\alpha,\beta,\gamma)}\psi=\left[\begin{matrix}
-\beta\gamma&-\alpha\gamma&-\alpha\beta\\
\beta+\gamma&\alpha+\gamma&\alpha+\beta\\
-1&-1&-1
\end{matrix}\right]
$. Now by computing determinant respect to the last row:
$\begin{align}
\det(D_{(\alpha,\beta,\gamma)}\psi)= +\big[-\alpha^2\gamma-\alpha\beta\gamma+\alpha^2\beta+\alpha\beta\gamma\big]&-\big[-\alpha\beta\gamma-\beta^2\gamma+\alpha\beta^2+\alpha\beta\gamma\big]\\
&-\big[-\alpha\beta\gamma-\beta\gamma^2+\alpha\beta\gamma+\alpha\gamma^2\big]
\end{align}$.
$$\Rightarrow\det(D_{(\alpha,\beta,\gamma)}\psi)=
[\alpha-\beta]\color{red}{\gamma^2}+[\beta^2-\alpha^2]\color{red}{\gamma}+[\alpha\beta(\alpha-\beta)] $$
Now the equation $\det(D_{(\alpha,\beta,\gamma)}\psi)=0$, while $\alpha\neq\beta$, becomes the following quadratic equation respect to $\gamma$ :
$$\boxed{(\gamma-\alpha)(\gamma-\beta)=\color{red}{\gamma^2}-(\alpha+\beta)\color{red}{\gamma}+\alpha\beta=0
\leftrightarrow \gamma=\alpha\vee\gamma=\beta\longrightarrow\bot}$$

REPLY [2 votes]: The determinant of your matrix,
$$
p = \det D_{\alpha_!,\dots,\alpha_n} \psi =
\det \begin{pmatrix}
\frac{\partial\psi_1}{\partial\alpha_1}&\cdots&\frac{\partial\psi_1}{\partial\alpha_n}\\
\vdots&\ddots&\vdots\\
\frac{\partial\psi_n}{\partial\alpha_1}&\cdots &\frac{\partial\psi_n}{\partial\alpha_n}
\end{pmatrix}
$$
is an alternating polynomial in $\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_n$, since
$$
\frac{\partial \psi_k}{\partial \alpha_i}(\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_n) = \frac{\partial \psi_k}{\partial \alpha_j}(\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_n)
\quad\text{when $\alpha_i=\alpha_j$}.
$$
Hence, the polynomials $(\alpha_i-\alpha_j)$ for $i<j$ all divide $p$, in fact the Vandermonde determinant
$$
v = \prod_{1\le i<j\le n} (\alpha_j-\alpha_i)
$$
divides $p$. The Vandermonde determinant is a homogeneous polynomial of degree $\binom{n}{2}$. Since the entries of your matrix in every row are homogeneous polynomials of the same degree, the determinant is also a homogenous polynomial of degree
$$
(n-1) + (n-2) + \cdots + 0 = \binom{n}{2}.
$$
Since $p$ is not the zero-polynomial we conclude $p$ and $v$ can only differ by a factor of degree $0$, so $p(\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_n)=0$ if and only if $\alpha_i=\alpha_j$ for some $i<j$.