Rational snakes (Q1326910)

The characterization of channels that admit redundant and ordinary rational snakes is found. Namely, an irreducible rational function \(R\) of the (exact) type \((n,m)\) \((R\in{\mathcal R}_{n,m})\) is called an ordinary snake for a channel \((g_ -,g_ +)\) in \(\Delta= [a;b]\) (\(g_ -\), \(g_ +\) are arbitrary functions) if \(g_ -\leq R\leq g_ +\) in \(\Delta\) and precisely \(n+m+1\) points in \(\Delta\) at which \(R\) successively assumes the value of first one and the other of the two functions \(g_ -\), \(g_ +\) may be found. The definition of a redundant rational snake is obtained by replacing the words ``precisely \(n+m+1\)'' by the words ``at least \(n+m+2\)''. Let \({\mathcal R}_{n,m}(p,f)\) be the least deviation of the function \(f\in C(\Delta)\) from \({\mathcal R}_{n,m}\) in the ``norm'' \(\| h\|_ p= \sup_{x\in \Delta} (h^ +(x)p_ +(x)+ h^ -(x)p_ - (x))\), where \(h^ +\) and \(h^ -\) are the positive and negative parts of the function \(h\) and \(p=(p_ +,p_ -)\) is the sign-sensitive weight \(p_ -= (f- g_ -)^{-1}\), \(p=(g_ +- f)^{-1}\). Main results: The channel \(g_ -\), \(g_ +\) admits an ordinary snake from \({\mathcal R}_{n,m}\) if and only if \({\mathcal R}_{n,m}(p;f)< 1\), \({\mathcal R}_{n-1,m-1}(p,f)> 1\). (Theorem 6) The channel \(g_ -\), \(g_ +\) admits a redundant snake from \({\mathcal R}_{n,m}\) if and only if \({\mathcal R}_{n,m}(p;f)= 1\), \({\mathcal R}_{n-1,m-1}(p;f)> 1\). (Theorem 7) For every channel \(g_ 0\), \(g_ +\) and any set of nonnegative integers \(n\) and \(m\), only one of the following three cases may occur: 1. There are no snakes from \({\mathcal R}_{n,m}\) in the channel; 2. There are precisely two ordinary snakes from \({\mathcal R}_{n,m}\); 3. There is a single redundant snake from \({\mathcal R}_{n,m}\). Remark of the reviewer: The English version of the paper contains a serious misprint: Theorem 7 has to be written as above.