Splines (with optimal knots) are better

Abstract

Let S^M _k be the Polynominal splines of degree n-1, and with K segments. If f∈ C ⁿ [a,b],then the distance in the L^p-norm form(0< p ≦ ∞)of from S ^M _k is boundedby M/K ⁿ , with a much smaller M than in similar estimates for other processes of approximation.