Sharp estimates for approximation numbers of non-periodic Sobolev embeddings (Q2274402)

Let \(\overset{\circ}{W}{}^m_2 (\Omega)\) be the completion of \(C^\infty_0 (\Omega)\) in the classical Sobolev space \(W^m_2 (\Omega)\), \(m \in \mathbb{N}\), where \(\Omega\) is a bounded domain in \(\mathbb{R}^n\). Let \(a_k\), \(k\in \mathbb{N}\), be the approximation numbers of the compact embedding \[ \mathrm{id}: \overset{\circ}{W}{}^m_2 (\Omega) \hookrightarrow L_2 (\Omega). \] It is the main aim of the paper to calculate \(\lim_{k\to \infty} k^{m/n} a_k\) in dependence on how \(\overset{\circ}{W}{}^m_2 (\Omega)\) is (equivalently) normed. Furthermore, there are related sharp estimates of \(a_k\) from above and from below. This is complemented by corresponding assertions for the approximation numbers of the compact embedding \[ \mathrm{id}: W^m_2 (\Omega) \hookrightarrow L_2 (\Omega) \] where special attention is paid to \(\Omega = Q= (0,1)^n\). The proofs are based on related Dirichlet and Neumann eigenvalue problems.