High order smoothness (Q1100570)

With the help of a lemma due to H. Auerbach, the author sharpens the hypotheses and proves stronger results than those obtained by Dutta [\textit{T. K. Dutta}, Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hung. 40, 29-37 (1982; Zbl 0511.26006)]. A function \(f: R\to R\) has the symmetric de la Vallée Poussin derivative \(D^{2k}f(a)\) \((D^{2k+1}f(A))\) of order \(2k(2k+1)\) at \(a\) iff there exist real numbers \(\alpha_ 0 = f(a),\alpha_ 2,...,\alpha_{2k}\) \((\beta_ 1,\beta_ 3,...,\beta_{2k+1})\) such that \[ \frac{f(a+h)+f(a-h)}{2h} = \sum^{k}_{i=0} \frac{h^{2i}}{(2i)!} \alpha_{2i} + o(h^{2k}), \] \[ \frac{f(a+h)- f(a-h)}{2h} = \sum^{k}_{i=0} \frac{h^{2i+1}}{(2i+1)!} \beta_{2i+1} + o(h^{2k+1}), \] and \(D^{2k}f(a)=\alpha_{2k}(D^{2k+1}f(a) = \beta_{2k+1}),\quad respectively.\) The function f is smooth of order 2k \((2k+1)\) at \(a\) iff there exists \(D^{2k}f(a)\) \((D^{2k+1}f(a))\) and \[ \lim_{h\to 0}\frac{(2k)!}{h^{2k-1}}(\frac{f(a+h)+f(a-h)}{2h}-\sum^{k- 1}_{i=0}\frac{h^{2i}}{(2i)!}D^{2i}f(a))=0, \] \[ \lim_{h\to 0}\frac{(2k+1)!}{h^{2k}}(\frac{f(a+h)-f(a-h)}{2h}-\sum^{k- 1}_{i=0}\frac{h^{2i+1}}{(2i+1)!}D^{2i+1}f(a))=0, \] respectively. An f has the Peano derivative \(f_ k(a)\) of order k at a iff there exists \(\gamma_ 0,\gamma_ 1,...,\gamma_ k\) such that \(f(a+h)=\sum^{k}_{i=0}\frac{h^ i}{i!}\gamma_ i+o(h^ k)\) and \(f_ k(a)=\gamma_ k\). An f is a Baire\(^*\) one function iff for each closed subset P of R there exist \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) in R such that \(\alpha <\beta\), \((\alpha,\beta)\cap P\neq \emptyset\) and \(f/(\alpha,\beta)\cap P\) is continuous. There are the results: 1. If f is continuous and m-smooth, then \(D^{m-2}f\) is a Baire\(^*\) one function. 2. For any m-smooth function f, the set of all points at which f is discontinuous is scattered. 3. If f is m-smooth, then \(f^{(m-2)}\) exists and is continuous on a dense open set and the set of all points where \(f_{m-1}\) exists is of power of continuum in every interval. 4. For any m-smooth Darboux function having everywhere the Peano derivative \(f_{m-2}\) the following holds. (i) \(f_{m-1}\) has the Darboux property on a set \(E=\{x\in R: f_{m-1}(x)\) exists\}. (ii) If \(f_{m-1}\geq 0\) on E, then \(f_{m-2}\) is continuous and nondecreasing.