Pointwise error estimates for the trigonometric collocation method applied to singular integral equations and periodic pseudodifferential equations (Q917254)

This paper, a sequel to the recent paper by the first and the third author [Oper. Theory Adv. Appl. 41, 359-383 (1989; Zbl 0693.65093)] deals with the trigonometric collocation method for (periodic) singular integral equations and pseudodifferential equations. The space of trial functions is that of trigonometric polynomials of degree n. It is shown that if the exact solution u is in \(C^ r\), then the rate of convergence of the collocation solution \(u_ n\) is given by \[ \| u_ n- u\|_{\infty}\leq c\cdot n^{-r}(\log (n))^ 2\cdot \| u\|_{C^ r}. \] This is close to being optimal: the error for the interpolant of the exact solution is \(O(n^{-r}\cdot \log (n))\), while the best approximation yields \(O(n^{-r})\). The analysis is then extended to general systems of pseudodifferential equations on closed smooth curves; this class of equations includes, e.g., boundary integral equations of various types, Cauchy singular integral equations, and elliptic integro-differential equations.