On a polynomial approximation problem (Q968972)

Let \(F\) be an arbitrary closed subset of the unit circle \(\mathbb{T}\) and let \(f\) be a continuous complex-valued function on \(F\). In this paper, the author addresses the problem of uniform approximation of \(f\) by polynomials \(p_n\) which are uniformly bounded on the unit disk \(\Delta\). In the particular case when \(F=\Gamma\) is a closed arc of \(\mathbb{T}\), this problem was solved by \textit{L. Zalcman} [ibid. 34, 379--383 (1982; Zbl 0484.41008)]. The main result of this paper gives a necessary and sufficient condition for the above problem; in fact, the author shows that the description of \(f\) given by Zalcman also holds in the general case. As a simple application of the result, the Rudin-Carleson interpolation theorem is reobtained with a new proof.