Best multipoint local \(L_ p\) approximation (Q1814035)

Let \(I=[a,b]\) be an interval and \(k\), \(n\) positive integers with \(k\leq n+1\). Then \(n+1=\ell\cdot k+r\) with integers \(\ell\), \(r\) such that \(0\leq r<k\). Let \(M\) be an \(n+1\)-dimensional extended Tchebycheff subspace of \(C(I)\) and \(x_ i\) points with \(a\leq x_ 1<\dots<x_ k\leq b\). Let \(f\in C(I)\) be fixed. Then for each fixed \(1\leq p\leq\infty\) and sufficiently small \(h\) there is at least one \(q_ h\in M\) which is the best approximation to \(f\) in \(L^ p(I_ h)\), where \(I_ h\) is the union of intervals \([x_ j,x_ j+h]\). An element \(q^*\in M\) is called a best \(k\)-point approximation to \(f\) if there is a sequence \(h_ \nu\to 0\) such that the pertaining \(q_ h\to q^*\). The authors consider the problem of existence, uniqueness and characterization for such multipoint approximations. The main result is the following theorem: If \(1<p\leq\infty\) and \(f\in C^{\ell+1}\) then \(q_ h\to q_ 0\) uniformly as \(h\to 0\). The function \(q_ 0\in M\) is uniquely defined. It satisfies (*) \(q_ 0^{(i)}(x_ j)=f^{(i)}(x_ j)\) for \(j=1,\dots,k\) and \(i=0,\dots,\ell-1\). Further, \(q_ 0\) minimizes the sum over \(| f^{(\ell)}(x_ j)-q^{(\ell)}(x_ j)|^ p\) over all \(q\in M\) satisfying the interpolation conditions (*). For \(p=1\) a similar result is obtained. But in this case there is in general no uniqueness and the \(q_ 0\) is only a cluster point of the \(q_ h\).