We obtain several norm and eigenvalue inequalities for positive matrices partitioned into four blocks. The results involve the numerical range $W(X)$ of the off-diagonal block $X$, especially the distance $d$ from $0$ to $W(X)$. A special consequence is an estimate,

$$\begin{eqnarray}\text{diam}\,W\left(\left[\begin{array}{@{}cc@{}}A & X\\ X^{\ast } & B\end{array}\right]\right)-\text{diam}\,W\biggl(\frac{A+B}{2}\biggr)\geq 2d,\end{eqnarray}$$

Given a Banach space $E$ and positive integers $k$ and $l$ we investigate the smallest constant $C$ that satisfies $\|P\|\hskip1pt\|Q\|\le C\|PQ\|$ for all $k$-homogeneous polynomials $P$ and $l$-homogeneous polynomials $Q$ on $E$. Our estimates are obtained using multilinear maps, the principle of local reflexivity and ideas from the geometry of Banach spaces (type and uniform convexity). We also examine the analogous problem for general polynomials on Banach spaces.

We prove that if A is the infinitesimal generator of a bounded analytic semigroup in a sector {z ∊ C : |arg z| ≦ (απ)/2} of bounded linear operators on a Banach space, then the following inequalities hold:

for any x ∊ D(An) and for any 0 < β < α. This result helps us to answer in affirmative a question raised by M. W. Certain and T. G. Kurtz [3]. Similar inequalities are proved for cosine operator funtions.