No label defined (Q4250293)

The extremal problem in logarithmic potential theory with external field \(Q\) is to minimize \[ \int\log\frac 1{| x-y| } d\mu(x) d\mu(y)+2\int Q(x) d\mu(x) \] among all measures \(\mu\in\mathcal{P}(K)\) where \(K\) is a compact set, \(\mathcal{P}(K)\) is the collection of Borel probability measures on \(K\). The author presents an introduction to this theory, with applications to weighted approximation with varying weights and fast decreasing polynomials. As an example of the application of extremal problems with external fields to a problem in approximation theory, he considers here the so-called generalized Weierstrass problem \[ \lim\limits_{n\to\infty}| | w^np_n-f| | _K=0 . \] In addition, the author discusses a new method to determine the support of the equilibrium measure. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0910.00046].