An algebraic characterization of B-splines (Q2695976)

B-Splines are well known bases of univariate polynomial splines spaces defined by piecewise polynomials. Of course they depend also on smoothness conditions and prescribed knots. In this paper a mapping is considered that maps a collection of knots to the associated B-spline (the degree also being defined, namely by the number of knots, give a certain prescribed smoothness). So, the mapping provides a B-spline with the required properties. The authors then show that under some extra conditions, any mapping that maps a collection of points (``knots'') to a function that is (1) shift-invariant and translation invariant, (2) refinable, and (3) compactly supported, necessarily provides a B-spline or a derivative thereof. However, if the extra conditions are dropped, this is no longer the case.