On rational functions of the best nonsymmetric approximations in integral metrics (Q362500)

Let \(P_n\) and \(R_n\) denote the space of polynomials of degree at most \(n\) and the space of rational functions of degree at most \(n\), respectively, and let \(\alpha, \beta >0\). The best \((\alpha, \beta)\) polynomial approximation of a function \(f \in L_p[-1,1]\) by the subspace \(P_n\) is defined by \(\displaystyle E_n^{(\alpha, \beta)}(f)_p=\inf \biggl\{||\alpha(f-p_n)_+ + \beta(f-p_n)_-||_p\biggr\}\), where the infimum is taken over all polynomials in \(P_n\). The best \((\alpha, \beta)\) rational approximations of a function \(f \in L_p[-1,1]\) by the subspace \(Q_n\), denoted by \(R_n^{(\alpha, \beta)}(f)_p\), is similarly defined. The main results of this paper are the following: {Theorem 1.} If a function \(f \in L_p[-1,1]\), \(1 < p < \infty\), is everywhere finite on \([-1,1]\) and is not a rational function of degree at most \(n\), then the polynomial of the best \((\alpha, \beta)\)-approximation to \(f\) is exactly of degree \(n\). { Theorem 2.} If the \((n+1)\)th derivative of \(f\) has at most \(n-1\) zeros on \([-1,1]\), then \[ R_n^{(\alpha, \beta)}(f)_p < E_n^{(\alpha, \beta)}(f)_p,\, 1 < p < \infty. \] The authors attribute their methods of proof to Ramazanov [Vestn. Mosk. Univ., Ser. Mat. Mekh. No. 5, 43--48 (1982)], who proved these results for \(\alpha=\beta=1\).