Two-point Padé approximants for formal Stieltjes series (Q1344112)

This paper considers Stieltjes functions of the form \(f(z)= z\int_ 0^ \infty (1+zu)^{-1} d\gamma(u)\) with \(\gamma\) real, bounded and nondecreasing. A two-point Padé approximant \([M/ M]_ k\) for \(f(z)\) is a rational function of type \((M, M)\), zero at the origin and which matches \(k\) initial terms of the asymptotic expansion of \(f(z)\) at \(\infty\) and the first \(2M-k\) terms of its expansion at the origin. For example, \([M/ M]_ 0\) represents an ordinary diagonal Padé approximant.It is proved that for \(z\) nonnegative, \([M/ M]_ 1\) and \([M/ M]_ 2\) are uniformy converging to \(f\) as \(M\to \infty\) The sequence \([M/ M]_ 1\) is monotonically decreasing, while the sequence \([M/ M]_ 2\) is monotonically increasing. This generalizes well known results for ordinary Padé approximants and results for balanced \((k=M)\) two-point Padé approximants. The proofs are based on the continued fraction expansion of the approximants. A numerical example applied to the theory of inhomogeneous media for estimating the effective transport coefficients is included.