Direct theorems of approximation of smooth functions by algebraic polynomials on a segment (Q1896986)

\(W^r [-1, 1]\), \(r\in \mathbb{N}\), is the class of functions \(f\) defined on \([-1, 1]\) for which \(f^{(r -1)}\) is absolutely continuous and \(|f^{( r)} |\leq 1\) almost everywhere. \(V^r [-1, 1]\) is the class of functions for which the total variation of \(f^{(r- 1)}\) does not exceed unity. Also \[ K_r= {4 \over \pi} \sum_{k=0}^\infty {{(- 1)^{k(r+ 1)}} \over {(2k+ 1)^{r+ 1}}}. \] The author establishes several results relating to known results for \(f\) in the classes \(W^1 [-1, 1]\), \(W^2 [-1, 1]\) with regards to the degree of its approximation by polynomials on the interval \([-1, 1]\). Theorem 1. Given an \(r\in \mathbb{N}\), there exists \(\gamma= \gamma (r)\), \(\gamma (r)\geq ce^r\) for some positive constant \(c\) such that for any \(f\in W^r [-1, 1]\) there exists a polynomial \(p_n\) of degree \(n\geq r-1\) which satisfies the inequality \[ |f(x)- p_n (x)|\leq K_r \Biggl( {{\sqrt {1- x^2}} \over {n+1}} \Biggr)^r +\gamma {{(\sqrt {1- x^2})^{r- 1}} \over {(n+ 1)^{r+ 1}}}. \] Theorem 2. Given an \(r\in \mathbb{N}\), and a function \(f\in V^r [-1, 1]\) there exists a sequence of polynomials \(p_n\) of degree \(n\geq r-1\) which satisfy the inequality \[ \int_{-1}^1 {{|f(x)- p_n (x)|} \over {(1- x^2)^{r/2}}} dx\leq {K_r \over n^r}+ o \Biggl( {1\over n^r} \Biggr). \] If \(r=1\) the remainder term can be omitted. In the concluding section of the paper the author indicates the means for a possible generalization of the above results to the class \(C^r [-1, 1]\).