On the degree of multivariate Bernstein polynomial operators (Q1332287)

Let \(\sigma\) be a \(d\)-dimensional simplex, \(\sigma_ m\) the \(m\)th simplicial subdivision of \(\sigma\) and \(B_ n f\) the \(n\)th (multivariate) Bernstein polynomial of a function \(f\in C(\sigma)\). Using a degree-raising formula the authors show tht \((B_{nm} f)(x)\geq (B_{nm+1})(x)\) holds on \(\sigma\) if \(f\) is convex on each cell in \(\sigma_ m\) (Theorem 1), which extends an earlier result by Dahmen and Miccheli. The inequality becomes an equality if \(f\in S_ 1(\sigma_ m)\), i.e. if \(f\) is a continuous piecewise polynomial with total degree at most on \(\sigma_ m\) (Theorem 2). If conversely \(f\) is such that its restrictions on each cell in \(\sigma_ m\) are either convex or concave and if the equality holds, then \(f\in S_ 1(\sigma_ m)\). The paper closes with a conjecture for spline functions with total degree \(k>1\).