The purpose of this paper is to get error estimates for spherical basis function (SBF) interpolation and approximation for target functions in Sobolev spaces less smooth than the SBFs, and to show that the rates achieved are, in a sense, best possible. In addition, we establish a Bernstein-type theorem, where the smallest separation between data sites plays the role of a Nyquist frequency. We then use these Berstein-type estimates to derive inverse estimates for interpolation via SBFs.

Abstract. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the strict positivedefiniteness of real and continuous functions on spheres of dimension greater than one.

Error estimates for scattered data interpolation by "shifts" of a conditionally positive definite function (CPD) for target functions in its native space, which is its associated reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS), have been known for a long time. Regardless of the underlying manifold, for example R n or S n , these error estimates are determined by the rate of decay of the Fourier transform (or Fourier series) of the CPD. This paper deals with the restriction of radial basis functions (RBFs), which are radial CPD functions on R n+1 , to the unit sphere S n . In the paper, we first strengthen a result derived by two of us concerning an explicit representation of the Fourier-Legendre coefficients of the restriction in terms of the Fourier transform of the RBF. In addition, for RBFs that are related to completely monotonic functions, we derive a new integral representation for these coefficients in terms of the measure generating the completely monotonic function. These representations are then utilized to show that if an RBF has a native space equivalent to a Sobolev space H s (R n+1 ), then the restriction to S n has a native space equivalent to H s−1/2 (S n ). In addition, they are used to recover the asymptotic behavior of such coefficients for a wide variety of RBFs. Some of these were known earlier.

No abstract

Within the conventional framework of a native space structure, a smooth kernel generates a small native space, and "radial basis functions" stemming from the smooth kernel are intended to approximate only functions from this small native space. Therefore their approximation power is quite limited. studied two approaches that have led to the empowerment of smooth radial basis functions in a larger native space. In the approach of [NW], the radial basis function interpolates the target function at some scattered (prescribed) points. In both approaches, approximation power of the smooth radial basis functions is achieved by utilizing spherical polynomials of a (possibly) large degree to form an intermediate approximation between the radial basis approximation and the target function. In this paper, we take a new approach. We embed the smooth radial basis functions in a larger native space generated by a less smooth kernel, and use them to approximate functions from the larger native space. Among other results, we characterize the best approximant with respect to the metric of the larger native space to be the radial basis function that interpolates the target function on a set of finite scattered points after the action of a certain multiplier operator. We also establish the error bounds between the best approximant and the target function.