Chebyshev system ($\Phi =(u_0,\dots ,u_n)$)

A Chebyshev system on a nondegenerate real interval is a family of $n+1$ real continuous functions such that every linear combination with coefficients not all zero has at most $n$ distinct zeros. The condition entails linear independence and unique interpolation at any $n+1$ distinct points. It is a zero-counting hypothesis, not a requirement to count multiplicities.

A Chebyshev system of real continuous functions on a circle has odd dimension. If its dimension is $d$, take $d$ cyclically ordered evaluation points and move them continuously to the next cyclic permutation without letting points collide. The evaluation determinant stays nonzero, so cannot change sign. The final cyclic row permutation multiplies it by $(-1{)}^{d-1}$; consequently $d$ must be odd. For example, $1,\cos x,\sin x,\dots ,\cos mx,\sin mx$ has dimension $2m+1$ and the required zero bound.

Exponentials with distinct real exponents form a Chebyshev system on every nondegenerate real interval. For an inductive proof, multiply a candidate combination by $e^{-{\lambda }_{0}x}$. If it has $n+1$ zeros, Rolle's theorem gives at least $n$ zeros of its derivative, a combination of the $n$ exponentials with exponents ${\lambda }_i-{\lambda }_0$, $i>0$. The inductive zero bound forces all those coefficients to vanish. The remaining constant also vanishes, a contradiction.

A family of $n+1$ real continuous functions is a Chebyshev system exactly when every evaluation matrix at $n+1$ distinct points is invertible. A singular evaluation matrix supplies a nonzero coefficient vector whose function vanishes at those points; conversely, a violation of the zero bound supplies such a vector in the kernel. This also gives the existence and uniqueness of interpolation from its span.