A study of positive linear operators by the method of moments, one- dimensional case (Q1061964)

Let [a,b]\(\subset {\mathbb{R}}\) and let \(\{L_ j\}_{j\in {\mathbb{N}}}\) be a sequence of positive linear operators from \(C^ n[a,b]\) \((n\in {\mathbb{Z}}^+)\) to C[a,b]. The convergence of \(L_ j\) to the identity operator I is closely related to the weak convergence of a sequence of finite measure \(\mu_ j\) to the unit (Dirac) measure \(\delta_{x_ 0}\), \(x_ 0\in [a,b]\). New estimates are given for the remainder \(| \int_{[a,b]}fd\mu_ j-f(x_ 0)|\), where \(f\in C^ n([a,b])\). Using moment methods, Shisha-Mond-type best or nearly best upper bounds are established for various choices of [a,b], n and given moments of \(\mu_ j\). Some of them lead to attainable inequalities. The optimal functions/measures are typically spline functions and finitely supported measures. The corresponding inequalities involve the first modulus of continuity of \(f^{(n)}\) (the nth derivative of f) or a modification of it. Several applications of these results are given.