The interpolation problem for \(k\)-sparse sums of eigenfunctions of operators (Q1814141)

In Adv. Appl. Math. 12, 57-75 (1991; Zbl 0735.11066) \textit{A. Dress} and \textit{J. Grabmeier} have shown that many results concerning the problem of efficient interpolation of \(k\)-sparse multivariate polynomials can be formulated and proved in the general setting of \(k\)-sparse sums of characters of abelian monoids. In this note we describe another conceptual framework for the interpolation problem. In this framework, we consider \(R\)-algebras of functions \({\mathcal A}_ 1,\dots,{\mathcal A}_ n\) on an integral domain \(R\), together with \(R\)-linear operators \({\mathcal D}_ i: {\mathcal A}_ i\to {\mathcal A}_ i\). We then consider functions \(f\) from \(R^ n\) to \(R\) that can be expressed as the sum of \(k\) terms, each term being an \(R\)-multiple of an \(n\)-fold product \(f_ 1(x_ 1)\cdot \dots\cdot f_ n(x_ n)\), where each \(f_ i\) is an eigenfunction for \({\mathcal D}_ i\). We show how these functions can be thought of as \(k\)- sums of characters on an associated abelian monoid. This allows one to use the result of the above cited paper to solve interpolation problems for \(k\)-sparse sums of functions which, at first glance, do not seem to be characters.