Forward and converse theorems of polynomial approximation for exponential weights on \([-1,1]\). II (Q1369240)

There is a well developed theory of weighted polynomial approximation on the interval \((-1,1)\) for weights \(w\) which behave like the Jacobi weights near \(\pm 1\). This theory does not apply for weights that decay more rapidly. The author studies weights \(w=\exp(-Q)\) with an even function \(Q\) which grows at least as fast as \((1-x^2)^{-\delta}\) near \(\pm 1\) for some \(\delta>0\). An example is the \(k\)th iterated exponential \(Q(x):=\exp_k((1-x^2)^{-\alpha})\) for \(k\geq 0,\alpha >0\). The modulus of smoothness appropriate for this type of problem contains a main part for the central region of the interval and a tail part for the sections close to the endpoints. In part I of the paper a Jackson-type estimate for the degree of approximation \(E_n[f]_{w,p}\) by \(n\)th degree polynomials in weighted \(L_p\) spaces has been proved for \(0<p\leq \infty\). The first main result of the second part is a relation between the realisation functional (which is a variant of the \(K\)-functional) and the modulus of smoothness. This result is used to simplify the Jackson theorem and to deduce a converse theorem which estimates the modulus of smoothness of the function \(f\) in terms of the degree approximation.