Fast decreasing polynomials via potentials (Q1326659)

Fast-decreasing polynomials are a technical tool that have been widely applied in approximation theory and orthogonal polynomials. The originators of the theory were Kamen Ivanov and Vili Totik, though one can also trace these polynomials in special cases to earlier work of Totik with Paul Nevai and E. Saff. In the present paper, the author uses potential theory to obtain powerful necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such polynomials. Here is an example of the results: Let \(\varphi: [-1,1]\to [0,\infty)\) be even, continuous, with \(\varphi(0)= 0\) and \(\varphi\) increasing on \([0,1)\). We search for polynomials \(P_ n\) of degree \(\leq n\), such that \[ P_ n(0)= 1;\;| P_ n(x)|\leq e^{-n(\varphi(x)+ o(1))},\;x\in [-1,1].\tag{1} \] The \(o(1)\) is uniform in \(x\) as \(n\to\infty\). Let \(\varphi^*\) be the smallest superharmonic majorant of \(\varphi\), so that \[ \varphi^*(z):= \inf\bigl\{h(z): h\geq \varphi\text{ in }[- 1,1]\bigr\}, \] where each function \(h\) in the inf is harmonic in \(\mathbb{C}\) and \(h(z)+\log | z|\) is \(O(1)\) at \(\infty\). Then \(\{P_ n\}^ \infty_{n=1}\) exist iff \(\varphi^*(0)= 0\) and \[ {2\over \pi} \int^ 1_ 0 {\varphi^*(t)\over t^ 2\sqrt{1- t^ 2}} dt\leq 1. \] If one assumes more, then one can avoid the use of the harmonic majorant: Suppose that \(\varphi(\sqrt t)\) is concave on \((0,1)\). Then for (1), it is necessary and sufficient that \[ {2\over \pi} \int^ 1_ 0 {\varphi(t)\over t^ 2\sqrt{1- t^ 2}} dt\leq 1. \] We can also dispense with \(o(1)\) term in (1) altogether if we also have \[ \varphi(x)= O(x^ 2),\quad x\to 0. \] The paper also contains results where \([-1,1]\) is replaced by a regular compact set.