Theoretical and computational aspects of multivariate interpolation with increasingly flat radial basis functions (Q2485425)

In many cases, multivariate interpolation by smooth radial basis functions converges toward polynomial interpolants, when the radial basis functions are scaled by a shape parameter to become flat. In this paper, the behavior of the interpolants in the limit of nearly flat radial basis functions is studied both theoretically and numerically. The authors give precise conditions on the radial basis functions and the interpolation points for different limit results. Furthermore, the authors explain the behavior of the error in the interpolant for small shape parameter and give reasons for why there is often an optimal value of the shape parameter.