Polynomial approximation in \(L_ p (O<p<1)\) (Q1185197)

Let \(I=[-1,1]\), \(\varphi(x)=(1-x^ 2)^{{1\over 2}}\) and \(f\) belong to \(L_ p(I)\). The Ditzian-Totik modulus of smoothness of \(f\) is \[ \omega_ k(f,t)_ p=\sup_{0<h\leq t}\left(\int^ 1_{- 1}|\Delta_ h^ k(f,x,I)|^ P dx\right)^{1/p} \] where \[ \Delta_ h^ k(f,x,I)=\sum^ k_{i=0}(-1)^{k-i}{k\choose i}f\left(x-{k\over 2}h\varphi(x)=ih\varphi(x)\right) \] if \(x\pm{k\over 2}h\varphi(x)\in I\) and is zero otherwise. This is smaller than the usual modulus in which \(\varphi(x)\) is replaced by 1. The authors show: if \(f\in L_ p(I)\), \(0<p<1\), and \(k\) is a positive integer, then there are constants \(N(p,k)\), \(C(p,k)\) such that, for all \(n\geq N(p,k)\), there exists a polynomial \(P_ n\) of degree at most \(n\) with \(\| f-P_ n\|_ p\leq C(p,k)\omega_ k\left(f,{1\over n}\right)_ p\). Moreover, if \(f\) is non-decreasing on \(I\) and \(k\leq 2\) the polynomial \(P_ n\) can be taken to be non-decreasing.