Reports of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR
MATHEMATICS
Submitted 1958-01-01 | RussiaRxiv: ru-195801.23687 | Translated from Russian

Abstract

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Reports of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR
1958. Volume 118, No. 2

MATHEMATICS

SUN YUNG-SHEN

ON THE BEST APPROXIMATION OF CLASSES OF FUNCTIONS REPRESENTABLE IN THE FORM OF A CONVOLUTION

(Presented by Academician N. N. Bogolyubov on 29 VI 1957)

  1. Let \(H_p\) \((1 \leq p < \infty)\) be the class of real functions \(\varphi(t)\in L^p\) with period \(\omega\), satisfying the condition
    \[ \|\varphi\|=\left\{\int_0^\omega |\varphi(t)|^p dt\right\}^{1/p}\leq 1, \]
    and let \(H_\infty\) be the class of essentially bounded measurable functions \(\varphi(t)\) with period \(\omega\), for which
    \[ \operatorname*{ess\,sup}|\varphi(t)|\leq 1. \]

Suppose that the function \(f(x)\) admits a representation in the form of a convolution:
\[ f(x)=\frac{1}{\omega}\int_0^\omega K(t-x)\varphi(t)\,dt \quad (\varphi(t)\in H_p), \tag{1} \]
where \(K(t)\) is a function with period \(\omega\), and, in the case \(1<p\leq\infty\), \(K(t)\in L^q\)
\[ \left(\frac{1}{p}+\frac{1}{q}=1\right), \]
while in the case \(p=1\), \(K(t)\) is continuous. The totality of all functions of the form (1) will be denoted by \(C(K,H_p)\).

Here we consider the problem of the best approximation of the class of functions \(f(x)\), representable in the form (1), by polynomials in a given Chebyshev system \((^1)\) of continuous functions with period \(\omega\), \(\{f_k(x)\}\) \((k=1,2,\ldots,n)\); general formulas are established for the quantity
\[ M_n^{(p)}=\sup_{\varphi\in H_p} E_n(f)_C,\qquad 1\leq p\leq\infty, \tag{2} \]
where
\[ E_n(f)_C=\min_{\alpha_k}\max_{0\leq x\leq\omega} \left|f(x)-\sum_{k=1}^n \alpha_k f_k(x)\right| \]
(\(\alpha_k\) are real numbers) is the best approximation of the function \(f(x)\) by polynomials in the system \(\{f_k(x)\}\); the properties of extremal functions \(f_0(x)\), for which \(E_n(f_0)_C=M_n^{(p)}\), are investigated, and the relations between the quantity \(M_n^{(p)}\) and the best approximation of the corresponding kernel \(K(t)\) in the metric \(L^q\) are studied.

For the case \(p=\infty\), this problem was studied earlier by Favard \((^2)\), Akhiezer and Krein \((^3)\), Nadem \((^4)\), Nikol’skii \((^5)\), and others.

  1. Let
    \[ 0\leq x_1<x_2<\cdots<x_{n+1}<\omega. \]
    Put \((^6)\)
    \[ M_i= \begin{vmatrix} f_1(x_1) & f_1(x_2) & \cdots & f_1(x_{i-1}) & f_1(x_{i+1}) & \cdots & f_1(x_{n+1})\\ f_2(x_1) & f_2(x_2) & \cdots & f_2(x_{i-1}) & f_2(x_{i+1}) & \cdots & f_2(x_{n+1})\\ \cdot & \cdot & \cdot & \cdot & \cdot & \cdot & \cdot\\ f_n(x_1) & f_n(x_2) & \cdots & f_n(x_{i-1}) & f_n(x_{i+1}) & \cdots & f_n(x_{n+1}) \end{vmatrix}, \]
    \[ M=\sum_{i=1}^{n+1}M_i,\qquad a_i=(-1)^i\frac{M_i}{M}\quad (i=1,2,\ldots,n+1). \]

By \(a_i^{(0)}\) we shall denote the value of \(a_i\) for \(x_j=x_j^{(0)}\) \((j=1,2,\ldots,n+1)\), and by \(\{x_i^{(0)}\}\) a system of points
\[ 0\le x_1^{(0)}<x_2^{(0)}<\cdots<x_{n+1}^{(0)}<\omega . \]
In what follows, by a Chebyshev alternant of the function \(f_0(x)\) we shall mean a system of points \(\{x_i^{(0)}\}\) at which the difference between the given function and its polynomial of best approximation assumes the maximal values \(E_n(f_0)_c\) with alternating signs.

3. The case \(1<p\le \infty\).

Theorem 1. Let \(K(t)\in L^q\left(\dfrac1p+\dfrac1q=1\right)\).

Then:

\[ 1^\circ.\quad M_n^{(p)} = \frac1\omega \max_{0<x_1<\cdots<x_{n+1}<\omega} \left\{ \int_0^\omega \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i K(t-x_i) \right|^q dt \right\}^{1/q}. \tag{3} \]

\[ 2^\circ.\quad \text{There exists a function } f_0(x)\in C(K,H_p) \text{ for which } E_n(f_0)_c=M_n^{(p)}. \]

\[ 3^\circ.\quad \text{The maximum in formula (3) is attained for those and only those systems of points } \{x_i^{(0)}\} \text{ which are Chebyshev alternants for some extremal function } f_0(x). \]

Generally speaking, the extremal function \(f_0(x)\) is not unique. In the case \(1<p<\infty\), each extremal function \(f_0(x)\) is determined by a unique function \(\varphi_0(t)\in H_p\). In order that, for \(M_n^{(p)}>0\), the function \(\varphi_0(t)\in H_p\) determine an extremal function \(f_0(t)\), it is necessary and sufficient that there exist a system of points \(\{x_i^{(0)}\}\) such that

\[ M_n^{(p)} = \frac1\omega \left\{ \int_0^\omega \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i^{(0)}K(t-x_i^{(0)}) \right|^q dt \right\}^{1/q} \]

and, almost everywhere,

\[ \varphi_0(t) = \left\{ \frac1{\omega M_n^{(p)}} \right\}^{q-1} \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i^{(0)}K(t-x_i^{(0)}) \right|^{q-1} \operatorname{sign} \left\{ \sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i^{(0)}K(t-x_i^{(0)}) \right\} \]

on the interval \(0\le t\le \omega\).

The extremal function \(f_0(x)\) is unique if and only if all the functions

\[ \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i^{(0)}K(t-x_i^{(0)}) \right| \operatorname{sign} \left\{ \sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i^{(0)}K(t-x_i^{(0)}) \right\} \]

coincide almost everywhere on \([0,\omega)\) for all systems of points \(\{x_i^{(0)}\}\) for which the maximum in formula (3) is attained.

In the case \(p=\infty\), one and the same extremal function \(f_0(x)\) may be determined by different functions \(\varphi_0(t)\in H_\infty\). In order that the function \(\varphi_0(t)\in H_\infty\) determine an extremal function \(f_0(x)\), it is necessary and sufficient that there exist a system of points \(\{x_i^{(0)}\}\) such that

\[ M_n^{(\infty)} = \frac1\omega \int_0^\omega \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i^{(0)}K(t-x_i^{(0)}) \right| dt, \]

\[ \varphi_0(t) = \operatorname{sign} \left\{ \sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i^{(0)}K(t-x_i^{(0)}) \right\} \]

almost everywhere on the set

\[ \mathcal E \left\{ t:\sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i^{(0)}K(t-x_i^{(0)})\ne 0 \right\}, \qquad \operatorname{mes}\mathcal E>0. \]

For there to exist a unique function \(\varphi_0(t)\in H_\infty\) determining the extremal function \(f_0(x)\), it is necessary and sufficient that all the functions

\[ \operatorname{sign}\left\{\sum_{i=1}^{n+1} a_i^{(0)}K\left(t-x_i^{(0)}\right)\right\} \]

coincide almost everywhere on \([0,\omega)\) for all systems of points \(\{x_i^{(0)}\}\) for which the maximum in formula (3) is attained.

In the following two theorems we shall assume that \(K(t)\in L^q[0,2\pi)\) \((1\le q<\infty)\); \(\varphi(t)\in H_p[0,2\pi)\) \(\left(\frac1p+\frac1q=1\right)\); \(T_n(t)\) is a trigonometric polynomial of degree not exceeding \(n\), and
\[ E_n(f)_c=\min_{T_{n-1}}\|f(x)-T_{n-1}(x)\|_c, \]
where \(f(x)\) is an arbitrary continuous function with period \(2\pi\).

Theorem 2. Let \(K(t)\in L^q[0,2\pi)\) \((1\le q<\infty)\) and

\[ f(x)=\frac1\pi\int_0^{2\pi} K(t-x)\varphi(t)\,dt, \tag{4} \]

where \(\varphi(t)\in H_p[0,2\pi)\). Then

\[ \sup_{\varphi\in H_p}E_n(f)_c\le \frac1\pi\min_{T_{n-1}} \left\{\int_0^{2\pi}\left|K(t)-T_{n-1}(t)\right|^q\,dt\right\}^{1/q}, \tag{5} \]

where
\[ \frac1p+\frac1q=1. \]

If \(1<p<\infty\), then in order that inequality (5) become an equality, it is necessary and sufficient that there exist a system of points
\[ 0\le x_1^{(0)}<\cdots<x_{2n}^{(0)}<2\pi \]
such that:

\[ 1^\circ.\qquad \sup_{\varphi\in H_p}E_n(f)_c = \frac1\pi \left\{ \int_0^{2\pi} \left| \sum_{i=1}^{2n}\widetilde a_i^{(0)} K\left(t-x_i^{(0)}\right) \right|^q \,dt \right\}^{1/q}, \tag{6} \]

where

\[ \widetilde a_i^{(0)}=(-1)^i\frac{Q_i^{(0)}}{Q^{(0)}},\qquad Q^{(0)}=\sum_{i=1}^{2n}Q_i^{(0)},\qquad Q_i^{(0)}=\prod_{p,q\ne i}\sin\frac{x_p^{(0)}-x_q^{(0)}}2, \tag{7} \]

\[ 2n\ge p>q\ge1,\qquad p,q\ne i,\qquad i=1,2,\ldots,2n. \]

\[ 2^\circ.\qquad \operatorname{sign}\{K_n(t-x_i^{(0)})\}\cdot \operatorname{sign}\{K_n(t-x_{i+1}^{(0)})\}\le0 \]

almost everywhere on the interval \(0\le t\le2\pi\), \(i=1,2,\ldots,2n-1\).

\(3^\circ.\) All the functions \(\left|K_n(t-x_i^{(0)})\right|\) are proportional on the interval \(0\le t\le2\pi\), \(i=1,2,\ldots,2n\), where
\[ K_n(t)=K(t)-T_{n-1}^*(t), \]
and \(T_{n-1}^*(t)\) is the polynomial of best approximation to the function \(K(t)\) of degree \(n-1\) in \(L^q\).

If, however, \(p=\infty\), then for (5) to become an equality it is necessary that there exist a system of points
\[ 0\le x_1^{(0)}<x_2^{(0)}<\cdots<\cdots<x_{2n}^{(0)}<2\pi \]
such that:

\[ 1^\circ.\qquad \sup_{\varphi\in H_\infty}E_n(f)_c = \frac1\pi \int_0^{2\pi} \left| \sum_{i=1}^{2n}\widetilde a_i^{(0)} K\left(t-x_i^{(0)}\right) \right|\,dt. \tag{8} \]

\[ 2^\circ.\qquad \operatorname{sign}\{K_n(t-x_i^{(0)})\}\cdot \operatorname{sign}\{K_n(t-x_{i+1}^{(0)})\}\le0 \]

almost everywhere on the interval \(0\leq t\leq 2\pi\), \(i=1,2,\ldots,2n-1\), where \(K_n(t)=K(t)-T^*_{n-1}(t)\), and \(T^*_{n-1}(t)\) is any polynomial of best approximation in the mean to the function \(K(t)\) of order \(n-1\).

If these conditions are satisfied for some trigonometric polynomial \(T^*_{n-1}(t)\) of best approximation in the mean to the function \(K(t)\) of order \(n-1\), then (5) turns into the equality (5′).

Theorem 3. If \(K(t)\in L\), \(K(t+2\pi)=K(t)\), \(\varphi(t)\) is any continuous function with period \(2\pi\),

\[ f(x)=\frac{1}{\pi}\int_{0}^{2\pi}K(t-x)\varphi(t)\,dt, \tag{9} \]

then

\[ E_n(f)_C \leq \frac{1}{\pi}\left\{ \max_{0<x_1<\cdots<x_{2n}<2\pi} \int_{0}^{2\pi}\left|\sum_{i=1}^{2n}\widetilde a_i K(t-x_i)\right|\,dt \right\}E_n(\varphi)_C, \tag{10} \]

where \(\widetilde a_i\) is a function of the parameters \(x_j\) \((1\leq j\leq 2n,\ j\ne i)\), defined by (7).

The inequality (10) cannot be improved.

Corollary. Let \(f(x)\) be a periodic function with period \(2\pi\), having a continuous \(r\)-th derivative \(f^{(r)}(x)\); then

\[ E_n(f)_C \leq \frac{K_r}{n^r}E_n\bigl(f^{(r)}\bigr)_C,\qquad n=1,2,\ldots \tag{11} \]

If, moreover, the conjugate function \(\widetilde f(x)\) has a continuous \(r\)-th derivative \(\widetilde f^{(r)}(x)\), then

\[ E_n(f)_C \leq \frac{\widetilde K_r}{n^r}E_n\bigl(\widetilde f^{(r)}\bigr)_C,\qquad n=1,2,\ldots \tag{12} \]

Here \(K_r,\ \widetilde K_r\) are the Favard constants \((^3,^7)\). The constants cannot be improved.

  1. We now consider the case \(p=1\), \(K(t)\in C[0,\omega]\). Let \(H_V\) be the class of functions \(g(t)\) of bounded variation on \([0,\omega]\) with norm \(\|g\|_V=\int_{0}^{\omega}|dg|\leq 1\). Put

\[ F(x)=\frac{1}{\omega}\int_{0}^{\omega}K(t-x)\,dg(t). \tag{13} \]

Theorem 4. If \(K(t)\in C[0,\omega]\), then

\[ M_n^{(1)}=\max_{g\in H_V}E_n(F)_C=\frac{1}{\omega}E_n(K)_C. \tag{14} \]

This work was carried out under the supervision of S. B. Stechkin, to whom I express my deep gratitude.

Moscow State University
named after M. V. Lomonosov

Received
24 VI 1957

REFERENCES

  1. N. I. Akhiezer, Lectures on the Theory of Approximation, Moscow–Leningrad, 1947.
  2. J. Favard, Bull. des Sci. Math., 61, 209, 243 (1937).
  3. A. I. Akhiezer, M. G. Krein, DAN, 15, 107 (1937).
  4. B. Nagy, Ber. d. Math.-phys. Kl. Akad. d. Wiss. Leipzig, 90, 103 (1938).
  5. S. M. Nikol’skii, Izv. AN SSSR, ser. matem., 10, 207 (1946).
  6. E. Ya. Remez, General Computational Methods of Chebyshev Approximation, 1957.
  7. S. B. Stechkin, Izv. AN SSSR, ser. matem., 20, 197 (1956).

Submission history

Reports of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR