Local approximation by modified Szász operators (Q1910003)

A function \(f\) on \([0, \infty)\) is called locally Hölder continuous with exponent \(\alpha\), \(0< \alpha\leq 1\), on a nonempty subset \(E\subset [0,\infty)\), if for any \(x\in [0,\infty)\) and \(y\in E\) there holds \(|f(x)- f(y) |\leq M|x-y |^\alpha\) with a constant \(M\) depending only on \(f\) and \(E\). (This definition includes the concept of globally Hölder continuous functions and of locally Hölder continuous functions at one point \(x_0\) for \(E= [0,\infty)\) or \(E= \{ x_0\}\) respectively.) The set of such functions is denoted by \(C^\alpha_E\). The main result of the present paper characterizes functions \(f\in C^\alpha_E\) for exponents \(\alpha\), \(0< \alpha< 1\), by means of the local rate of approximation to \(f\) by Szász operators of Durrmeyer type. Essential for the proof of the main theorem are local Bernstein-type estimates (lemma 2.3) and the commutativity of Szász-Durrmeyer operators. An earlier result by the authors characterizing globally Hölder continuous functions is contained in the main theorem as a special case.