Solution (source code)

= Solution

We construct the finite evaluation representation explicitly by <Lagrange interpolation>. This supplies all the <polynomial> facts needed for the bound.

Define the <Chebyshev polynomial> by $T_0=1,T_1=x$ and
$$
T_{m+1}(x)=2xT_m(x)-T_{m-1}(x).
$$
Induction shows that $T_m$ has degree $m$; the <cosine> addition identity also proves $T_m(\cos\theta)=\cos(m\theta)$. Therefore $\|T_n\|_{[-1,1]}=1$, and $T_n(-x)=(-1)^nT_n(x)$ follows from the recurrence. The case $n=0$ is immediate, since both $P$ and $T_0$ are constant.

For $n\geq1$, choose the descending extremal nodes
$$
x_j=\cos(j\pi/n),\qquad 0\leq j\leq n,
$$
so $T_n(x_j)=(-1)^j$. Define the fundamental interpolation polynomials
$$
\ell_j(t)=\prod_{k\ne j}\frac{t-x_k}{x_j-x_k}.
$$
They satisfy $\ell_j(x_k)=\delta_{jk}$. Consequently
$$
\boxed{P(t)=\sum_{j=0}^nP(x_j)\ell_j(t)}
$$
for every <polynomial> of degree at most $n$: the difference has degree at most $n$ and vanishes at the $n+1$ distinct nodes, so it is zero. The root count used here follows by successively factoring $(t-x_j)$ from a <polynomial> having such a root; a nonzero degree-$n$ <polynomial> cannot have more than $n$ distinct roots. Thus the interpolation identity has been proved.

If $u>1$, every numerator factor in $\ell_j(u)$ is positive, while exactly $j$ denominator factors are negative. Hence $\operatorname{sgn}\ell_j(u)=(-1)^j$. Applying interpolation to $T_n$ itself gives
$$
\sum_{j=0}^n|\ell_j(u)|=\sum_{j=0}^n(-1)^j\ell_j(u)=T_n(u)>0.
$$
Putting $M=\sup_{[-1,1]}|P|$ in the interpolation formula yields
$$
|P(u)|\leq\sum_{j=0}^n|P(x_j)||\ell_j(u)|\leq M T_n(u).
$$
For $u<-1$, apply the proved positive-side inequality to $Q(t)=P(-t)$ at $-u>1$, and use the parity identity. The result is
$$
\boxed{|P(u)|\leq\|P\|_{[-1,1]}|T_n(u)|,\qquad u\notin[-1,1].}
$$
This is sharp, with equality for $P=T_n$ or its scalar multiples.

In functional terms, the evaluation map $E_u:P\mapsto P(u)$ on the normed <polynomial> space has $\|E_u\|=|T_n(u)|$: the inequality gives the upper bound and $T_n$ attains it. For $u>1$, its normalized version has the exact representation
$$
\frac{E_u(P)}{T_n(u)}=\sum_{j=0}^n\lambda_jP(x_j),
\qquad\lambda_j=\frac{\ell_j(u)}{T_n(u)},\quad
\sum_{j=0}^n|\lambda_j|=1.
$$
Thus <Chebyshev interpolation represents external evaluation> using $n+1$ nodes. The necessary finite representation and its <norm> are derived directly, so no convex-hull theorem is being invoked without proof.