Large-degree asymptotics and exponential asymptotics for Fourier, Chebyshev and Hermite coefficients and Fourier transforms (Q1015996)

From the summary: ``When a function is expanded as \[ f(x)\sim \sum_{n=0}^N\,a_n\varphi_n(x) \] for some set of basis functions \(\varphi_j(x)\), its spectral coefficients \(a_n\) generally have an asymptotic approximation (as \(n\rightarrow\infty\)) in the form of an inverse power series plus terms that decrease exponentially with \(n\). \(\ldots\) The method of steepest descent for integrals and other complex-path integration techniques can connect the exponentially small behavior of the spectral coefficients to the singularities of \(f(x)\) off the expansion interval.'' This long survey paper indeed gives an excellent inroad to the state of the art concerning the number of terms needed in an exponential series to attain a given error tolerance and other points of interest in the field. The paper consists of 24 short sections and a list of 132 references; the names of the sections are introduction, connections between basis functions, integration by parts, Darboux's principle and singularity matching, Poisson summation, imbricate series, and all that, singularity location and the unimportance of phase shifts, asymptotics-by-example, steepest descent for integrals, \(C^{\infty}\) singularities, uniform and non-uniform asymptotics: optimizing a parameter, uniform and non-uniform asymptotics for the coefficients of a \(C^{\infty}\) bell, unbounded intervals and \(C^{\infty}\) functions, prolate spheroidal functions, singularity structures and fractal geometry, two-dimensional spectral-coefficient asymptotics, coordinate interference, complexity of Gibbs' phenomenon and coefficient decays in multiple dimensions, Poisson summation and imbricate series in two dimensions, point versus curve singularities, smooth modulation of Gibbs' phenomenon, spiral singularities, separation of variables, corner singularities and PDE compatibility conditions, summary and open problems. A nice paper!