Some properties of a new kind of modulus of smoothness (Q793256)

In the last few years the new kind of modulus of smoothness (1) \(\omega_ r(f,\delta)_{\phi,p}=\sup_{0<h<\delta}\| \Delta^ r_{h\phi}f\|_ p\) has appeared in connection with various questions of approximation theory such as interpolation between \(L^ p\) spaces and Sobolev spaces, characterization of best polynomial approximation on finite intervals in \(L^ p\) spaces and approximation by various positive or contractive operation processes. (1) plays a key role in the solution of these problems; the \(\phi\) in (1) is a weight function that may be different in different questions. In the paper under review it is shown that (1) possesses all the usual properties of moduli of smoothness and for \(r=2\) the optimal order \(\omega_ 2(f,\delta)_{\phi,p}=O(\delta^ 2)\) is also characterized, e.g. under some assumptions on \(\phi \omega_ 2(f,\delta)_{\phi,1}=O(\delta^ 2)\) if and only if f is absolutely continuous and \(\phi^ 2f'\) is of bounded variation.