A distance formula for algebras on the disk (Q2365013)

Suppose \(H^\infty(\mathbb{D})[{\mathcal F}]\) is the closed algebra on the disk generated by \(H^\infty(\mathbb{D})\) and a countable collection \(\mathcal F\) of bounded harmonic functions. Given \(g\in L^\infty(\mathbb{D})\) we give a method for calculating the distance from \(g\) to \(H^\infty(\mathbb{D})[{\mathcal F}]\) (in the \(L^\infty\) norm). As applications we compute the Bourgain closures of such algebras and give a new proof of a result of Axler and Shields.