On approximation by entire functions on an unbounded quasi-smooth curve (Q1045727)

Let \(S\) be a closed unbounded set in the complex plane \(\mathbb C\). Denote by \(BC(S)\) the class of complex valued functions which are bounded and continuous on \(S\), and by \(E_\sigma\) the class of entire functions of exponential type at most \(\sigma > 0\). Consider \[ A_{\sigma}(f,S) : = \inf_{g \in E_{\sigma}}\|f - g\|_{C(S)}, \qquad f \in BC(S), \] where \(\|\cdot\|_{C(S)}\) means the uniform norm over \(S\). The classical Bernstein Theorem states that, for \(f \in BC(\mathbb R)\) and \(s > 0\), \[ A_{\sigma}(f, \mathbb R) \leq c \,\omega_f\left( \frac{1}{\delta}\right)\,, \] where \(c\) is a constant and \(\omega_f\) is the modulus of continuity of \(f\) on the real line \(\mathbb R\). In the paper, the authors extend the Bernstein Theorem to the case of bounded continuous functions on a Jordan curve \(S = L\) with \(\infty \in L\) and satisfying two restrictions on its geometry. Namely, it is assumed that \(L\) is quasi-smooth in the sense of Lavrentiev; the second restriction requires some explanation: Let \(g_{\pm}\) be the two connected components of \(\mathbb C \setminus L\). Let \(\mathbb{H} = \mathbb{H}_{+} = \{ \tau : \text{Im}\, \tau > 0\}\) be the upper half-plane, and let \(\mathbb{H}_{-} : = \mathbb C \setminus \overline{\mathbb H}_+\). Denote by \(\Phi_{\pm}: G_{\pm} \to \mathbb{H}_{\pm}\) conformal mappings normalized by the conditions \(\Phi_{\pm}(\infty) = \infty\). The \(\Phi_{\pm}\) are extended continuously up to \(L\). Denote by \(\Psi_{\pm} = \Phi^{-1}_{\pm}\) the inverse mappings. It is assumed that there exists a constant \(c = c(L)\) such that \[ \frac{1}{c} \leq \frac{|\Phi_{\pm}(z)| + 1}{|z| + 1} \leq c, \qquad z \in{\overline G}_{\pm}.\tag{1} \] The geometry of Lavrentiev curves satisfying (1) was comprehensively studied by \textit{F. D. Lesley} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 20, 67--78 (1979; Zbl 0406.30004), Ann. Acad. Sci. Fenn., Ser. A I 8, 219--233 (1983; Zbl 0544.30007)] and \textit{B. Rodin} and \textit{S. E. Warshawski} [Math. Ann. 248, 125--137 (1980; Zbl 0411.30001)]. The authors prove two theorems that reflect that in the approximation by entire functions the local smoothness properties of \(L\) interact in a complicated way. So, for \(z \in L\) and \(\delta > 0\), let \[ L^{\pm}_{\delta} : = \{ z \in G_{\pm}\,: \, Im \Phi_{\pm}(\zeta) = \pm \delta \}\,, \] and \[ d^{\pm}_{\delta}: = d(z, L^{\pm}_{\delta}), \qquad d^{*}_{\delta}: = \max_{\pm}d^{\pm}_{\delta}(z), \] The first result (Theorem 1) states that, for \(f \in BC(L)\) and for any \(\sigma \geq 1 \), there exists a function \(e_{\sigma} \in E_{\sigma}\) with the property that \[ |f(z) - e_{\sigma}(z)| \leq c\left(\omega_f \left(d^*_{\frac{1}{\sigma}}(z)\right) + \frac{\|f\|_{C(L)}}{\sigma}\right)\,, \qquad z \in L. \] Setting \(f_{\pm} = f \circ \Psi_{\pm}(x)\), \(x \in \mathbb R\), and \(\mu_f(\delta) = \sum_{\pm}\omega_{f_{\pm}}\), \(\delta > 0\), they obtain that, for any non-constant \(f \in BC(L)\) and \(\sigma > 1\), the inequalities \[ A_{\sigma}(f,L) \leq c \left(\mu_f\left( \frac{1}{\delta}\right) + \frac{\|f\|_{C(L)}}{\sigma} \right) \leq c\left( 1 + 2\frac{\|f\|_{C(L)}}{\mu_f(1)}\right) \mu_f\left( \frac{1}{\delta}\right) \] hold with \(c > 0\) being a constant (Theorem 3). For the proofs of these results, the authors need some results on quasiconformal mappings and some distortion theorems for conformal maps. A construction of entire functions of exponential type by approximating the Cauchy integral, as obtained by \textit{N. Shirokov} [Approximation by entire functions on an infinite system of closed intervals. Transl., Ser. 2, Am. Math. Soc. 209, 183--190 (2003); translation from Tr. St-Peterbg. Mat. Obshch. 9, 191--198 (2001; Zbl 1035.41003)], is detailed in Section 5, while the remaining sections are dedicated to the proofs of the main results.