On the asymptotics of Fekete-type points for univariate radial basis interpolation. (Q1867523)

Here the Fekete type points of an interpolation process are defined to be the set \(X_n= \{x_1,\dots,x_n\}\) of \(n+1\) points which maximize the the absolute value of the determinant of the associated interpolation matrix. In the case under consideration these points are in the interval \([0,1]\), \(0\leq x_1<\cdots< x_{n+1}\leq 1\), and the determinant is \(D_n= \det(g(x_i-x_j))\) where \(g(x)\) is an even function of the real variable \(x\) and is subject to several other technical restrictions. The authors define what it means for \(X_n\) to be asymptotically distributed with respect to a positive weight function \(w\) with \(\int_0^1w(x)\,dx=1\) and obtain an explicit expression for \(L= \lim_{n\to\infty} n|D_n|^{1/n}\) when the \(X_n\)'s are asymptotically distributed with respect to such a weight function. As a corollary they obtain the fact that this constant \(L\) is maximized when \(w\equiv 1\).