The best approximation of the differentiation operator by linear bounded operators in the space \(L_2\) on the semiaxis (Q2254114)

Let \(Q^2 _2= \{f\in L^2((0,\infty)):f' \text{ is locally absolutely continuous on } [0,\infty),\;\|f''\| \leq 1\}\). For \(S \in {\mathcal B}(L^2(0,\infty))\), let \(U(S) = \sup \{\|f - S(f)\|: f \in Q^2_2\}\), \(E(N) = \inf\{U(S):\|S\| \leq N\}\). In this paper, the authors show that \(E(N) = \frac{1}{2N}\). They also exhibit operators where this infimum is attained.