Uniform approximation of \(\text{sgn} (x)\) by polynomials and entire functions (Q2474574)

Let \(p_m\) be the polynomial of degree at most \(2m+ 1\) of least deviation from \(\text{sgn}(x)\) on \(X(a)= [-1, -a]\cup[a, 1]\), where \(0< a< 1\). It follows from the general theory of Chebyshev that such a polynomial is unique. Let \(L_m(a)= \max_{X(a)}|p_m(x)- \text{sgn}(x)|\), resp. \(L(A)\) be the error of the best approximation of \(\text{sgn}(x)\) by entire functions of exponential type one, on the set \((-\infty, -A]\cup[A,+\infty]\). The following theorems are proved: Theorem 1: \(\lim_{m\to\infty}\sqrt{m}({1+a\over 1-a})^m L_m(a)= {1- a\over \sqrt{\pi\cdot a}}\); Theorem 2: \(\lim_{A\to\infty} \sqrt{A}\exp(a)\cdot L(A)= \sqrt{{2\over\pi}}\). In two further theorems the authors give an explicit description of the approximation errors with a function given in the form \(\cos\Phi(z)\), where \(\Phi\) is a appropriate conformal map. In a last theorem a new measure of the distance of \(\text{sgn}(x)\) and \(p_m\) is introduced and discussed.