More on Comonotone Polynomial Approximation

The main achievement of this paper is that we show, what was to us, a surprising conclusion, namely, twice continuously differentiable functions in (0,1) (with some regular behavior at the endpoints) which change monotonicity at least once in the interval, are approximable better by comonotone polynomials, than are such functions that are merely monotone. We obtain Jackson-type estimates for the comonotone polynomial approximation of such functions that are impossible to achieve for monotone approximation. July 7, 1998. Date revised: May 5, 1999. Date accepted: July 23, 1999.     

Piecewise Monotone Pointwise Approximation

Let r, k, s be three integers such that , or We prove the following: Proposition. Let Y:={y _i } _i=1 ^s be a fixed collection of distinct points y _i ∈ (-1,1) and Π (x):= (x-y ₁ ). ... .(x-y _s ). Let I:=[-1,1]. If f ∈ C ^(r) (I) and f'(x)Π(x) ≥ 0, x ∈ I, then for each integer n ≥ k+r-1 there is an algebraic polynomial P _n =P _n (x) of degree ≤ n such that P _n '(x) Π (x) ≥ 0 and $$ \vert f(x)-P_n(x) \vert \le B\left(\frac{1}{n^2}+\frac{1}{n}\sqrt{1-x^2}\right)^r \omega_k \left(f^{(r)};\frac{1}{n^2}+\frac{1}{n}\sqrt{1-x^2}\right) \legno{(1)}$$ for all x∈ I, where ω _k (f ^(r) ;t) is the modulus of smoothness of the k -th order of the function f ^(r) and B is a constant depending only on r , k , and Y. If s=1, the constant B does not depend on Y except in the case (r=1, k=3). In addition it is shown that (1) does not hold for r=1, k>3. March 20, 1995. Dates revised: March 11, 1996; December 20, 1996; and August 7, 1997.     

Weighted Polynomial Approximation for Convex External Fields

It is proven that if Q is convex and w(x)= exp(-Q(x)) is the corresponding weight, then every continuous function that vanishes outside the support of the extremal measure associated with w can be uniformly approximated by weighted polynomials of the form w ⁿ P _n . This solves a problem of P. Borwein and E. B. Saff. Actually, a similar result is true locally for any parts of the extremal support where Q is convex. February 10, 1998. Date revised: July 23, 1998. Date accepted: August 17, 1998.     

Polynomial Approximation on Convex Subsets of R n

Let K be a closed bounded convex subset of R ⁿ ; then by a result of the first author, which extends a classical theorem of Whitney there is a constant w _m (K) so that for every continuous function f on K there is a polynomial ϕ of degree at most m-1 so that |f(x)-ϕ(x)|≤ w_m(K) sup _{x,x+mh∈ K} |Δ_h^m(f;x)|. The aim of this paper is to study the constant w _m (K) in terms of the dimension n and the geometry of K . For example, we show that w ₂ (K)≤ (1/2) [ log ₂ n]+5/4 and that for suitable K this bound is almost attained. We place special emphasis on the case when K is symmetric and so can be identified as the unit ball of finite-dimensional Banach space; then there are connections between the behavior of w _m (K) and the geometry (particularly the Rademacher type) of the underlying Banach space. It is shown, for example, that if K is an ellipsoid then w ₂ (K) is bounded, independent of dimension, and w ₃ (K)\sim log n . We also give estimates for w ₂ and w ₃ for the unit ball of the spaces l _p ⁿ where 1≤ p≤∈fty. September 24, 1997. Dates revised: January 18, 1999 and June 10, 1999. Date accepted: June 25, 1999.     

Approximation by boolean sums of positive linear operators III: Estimates for some numerical approximation schemes

In the present note we intröduce and investigate certain sequences of discrete positive linear operators and Boolean sum modifications of them. The mappings considered are obtained by discretizing a class of transformed convolution-type operators using Gaussian quadrature of appropriate order. For our operators and their modifications we prove pointwise Jackson-type theorems involving the first and second order moduli of smoothness, thus providing new and elegant proofs of earlier results by Timan, Telyakowskii, Gopengauz and DeVore. Due to their discrete structure, optimal order of approximation and ease of computation, the operators appear to be useful for numerical approximation. In an intermediate step we solve an old problem in Approximation Theory; its importance was only recently emphasized in a paper of Butzer.     

On Multivariate Adaptive Approximation

Recently, A. Cohen, R. A. DeVore, P. Petrushev, and H. Xu investigated nonlinear approximation in the space BV (R ² ). They modified the classical adaptive algorithm to solve related extremal problems. In this paper, we further study the modified adaptive approximation and obtain results on some extremal problems related to the spaces V _σ,p ^r (R ^d ) of functions of ``Bounded Variation" and Besov spaces B ^α (R ^d ). November 23, 1998. Date revised: June 25, 1999. Date accepted: September 13, 1999.     

Greedy Algorithm and m -Term Trigonometric Approximation

We study the following nonlinear method of approximation by trigonometric polynomials in this paper. For a periodic function f we take as an approximant a trigonometric polynomial of the form , where is a set of cardinality m containing the indices of the m biggest (in absolute value) Fourier coefficients of function f . We compare the efficiency of this method with the best m -term trigonometric approximation both for individual functions and for some function classes. It turns out that the operator G _m provides the optimal (in the sense of order) error of m -term trigonometric approximation in the L _p -norm for many classes. September 23, 1996. Date revised: February 3, 1997.     

Restricted Nonlinear Approximation

We introduce a new form of nonlinear approximation called restricted approximation . It is a generalization of n -term wavelet approximation in which a weight function is used to control the terms in the wavelet expansion of the approximant. This form of approximation occurs in statistical estimation and in the characterization of interpolation spaces for certain pairs of L _p and Besov spaces. We characterize, both in terms of their wavelet coefficients and also in terms of their smoothness, the functions which are approximated with a specified rate by restricted approximation. We also show the relation of this form of approximation with certain types of thresholding of wavelet coefficients. March 31, 1998. Date accepted: January 28, 1999.     

Note on the Approximation of Powers of the Distance in Two-Dimensional Domains

Although Newman's trick has been mainly applied to the approximation of univariate functions, it is also appropriate for the approximation of multivariate functions that are encountered in connection with Green's functions for elliptic differential equations. The asymptotics of the real-valued function on a ball in 2-space coincides with that for an approximation problem in the complex plane. The note contains an open problem. May 17, 1999. Date revised: October 20, 1999. Date accepted: March 17, 2000.     

Pointwise Exponentially Weighted Estimates for Approximation on the Half-Line

We establish a theorem in the style of Timan-Gopengauz which provides pointwise estimates for the simultaneous approximation of a function and its derivatives in the space C[0, ∞), with error measured in an exponentially weighted norm.     

Shape-Preserving Widths of Weighted Sobolev-Type Classes of Positive, Monotone, and Convex Functions on a Finite Interval

   Abstract. Let I be a finite interval, r∈ N and ρ(t)= dist {t, I} , t∈ I . Denote by Δ ^s ₊ L _q the subset of all functions y∈ L _q such that the s -difference Δ ^s _τ y(t) is nonnegative on I ,

Weighted Polynomial Approximation in the Complex Plane

Given a pair (G,W) of an open bounded set G in the complex plane and a weight function W(z) which is analytic and different from zero in G , we consider the problem of the locally uniform approximation of any function f(z) , which is analytic in G , by weighted polynomials of the form {W ⁿ (z)P _n (z) } ^$\infinity$ _n=0 , where deg P_n n. The main result of this paper is a necessary and sufficient condition for such an approximation to be valid. We also consider a number of applications of this result to various classical weights, which give explicit criteria for these weighted approximations. May 1, 1996. Date revised: October 8, 1996.     

On Approximation by Ridge Functions

Ridge functions are defined as functions of the form , where , belongs to the given ``direction' set . In this paper we study the fundamentality of ridge functions for variable directions sets A and discuss the rate of approximation by ridge functions. Date received: June 7, 1994. Date revised: August 3, 1995.     

Direct and Inverse Estimates for Bernstein Polynomials

Direct estimates for the Bernstein operator are presented by the Ditzian—Totik modulus of smoothness , whereby the step-weight φ is a function such that φ ² is concave. The inverse direction will be established for those step-weights φ for which φ ² and , are concave functions. This combines the classical estimate (φ=1 ) and the estimate developed by Ditzian and Totik ( ). In particular, the cases , λ∈[0,1] , are included. August 2, 1996. Date revised: March 28, 1997.     

On Stable Local Bases for Bivariate Polynomial Spline Spaces

Stable locally supported bases are constructed for the spaces \cal S _d ^r (\triangle) of polynomial splines of degree d≥ 3r+2 and smoothness r defined on triangulations \triangle , as well as for various superspline subspaces. In addition, we show that for r≥ 1 , in general, it is impossible to construct bases which are simultaneously stable and locally linearly independent. February 2, 2000. Date revised: November 27, 2000. Date accepted: March 7, 2001.     

Constrained Approximation in Banach Spaces

   Abstract. We consider the problem of approximating vectors from a complemented subspace Z ₊ of a Banach space X by the projections onto Z ₊ of vectors from a subspace Y ₊ with a norm constraint on their projections onto the complementary subspace. Sufficient conditions are found for the existence of a unique best approximant and a characterization via a critical point equation is provided, thus extending known results on Hilbert spaces. These results are then applied in the case that X is L ^p (T), where T denotes the unit circle, Z ₊ consists of functions supported on a subset of the circle, and Y ₊ is the corresponding Hardy space.     

Convexity Preserving Interpolatory Subdivision Schemes

We construct local subdivision schemes that interpolate functional univariate data and that preserve convexity. The resulting limit function of these schemes is continuous and convex for arbitrary convex data. Moreover this class of schemes is restricted to a subdivision scheme that generates a limit function that is convex and continuously differentiable for strictly convex data. The approximation order of this scheme is four. Some generalizations, such as tension control and piecewise convexity preservation, are briefly discussed. November 29, 1996. Date revised: May 28, 1997.     

A Bound on the Approximation Order of Surface Splines

The functions φ _m :=|.| ^2m-d if d is odd, and φ _m :=|.| ^2m-d \log|.| if d is even, are known as surface splines, and are commonly used in the interpolation or approximation of smooth functions. We show that if one's domain is the unit ball in R ^d , then the approximation order of the translates of φ _m is at most m . This is in contrast to the case when the domain is all of R ^d where it is known that the approximation order is exactly 2m . April 23, 1996. Date revised: May 5, 1997.     

Bounds on Projections onto Bivariate Polynomial Spline Spaces with Stable Local Bases

L _& ∞ bounds for norms of projections onto bivariate polynomial spline spaces on regular triangulations with stable local bases are established. The general results are then applied to obtain error bounds for best L ₂ - and l ₂ -approximation by splines on quasi-uniform triangulations. March 8, 2000. Date revised: November 20, 2000. Date accepted: July 9, 2001.     

正系数多项式倒数逼近的点态和整体估计

利用Ditzian-Totik光滑模对于[0,1]上定义的非角连续函数f(x)，且f(x)≠0，文中证明存在正系数多项式Pn(x)及常数C，使得|f9x)-1/Pn(x)|≤Cωψ^λ（f,n^-1/2(ψ(x) 1/√n)^1-λ)。当λ＝1时，上述结果导出已有的整体估计，而当0≤λ＜1时，得到倒数逼近一个新的点态局部估计。