René Goertz

René Goertz, Philipp Öffner

We consider the well-known method of least squares on an equidistant grid with $N+1$ nodes on the interval $[-1,1]$. We investigate the following problem: For which ratio $N/n$ and which functions, do we have pointwise convergence of the least square operator ${LS}_n^N:\mathcal{C}\left[-1,1\right]\rightarrow\mathcal{P}_n$? To solve this problem we investigate the relation between the Jacobi polynomials $P_k^{α,β}$ and the Hahn polynomials $Q_k\left(\cdot;α,β,N\right)$. Thereby we describe the least square operator ${LS}_n^N$ by the expansion of a function by Hahn polynomials. In particular we present the following result: The series expansion $\sum_{k=0}^n{\hat{f} Q_k}$ of a function $f$ by Hahn polynomials $Q_k$ converges pointwise, if the series expansion $\sum_{k=0}^n{\hat{f} P_k}$ of the function $f$ by Jacobi polynomials $P_k$ converges pointwise and if ${n^4}/N\rightarrow 0$ for $n,N\rightarrow\infty$. Furthermore we obtain the following result: Let $f\in\left\{g\in\mathcal{C}^1\left[-1,1\right]:g^\prime\in\mathcal{BV}\left[-1,1\right]\right\}$ and let $(N_n)_{n}$ be a sequence of natural numbers with ${n^4}/{N_n}\rightarrow 0$. Then the least square method ${LS}_n^{N_n}[f]$ converges for each $x\in[-1,1]$.

René Goertz, Philipp Öffner

We consider in this paper the Hahn polynomials and their application in numerical methods. The Hahn polynomials are classical discrete orthogonal polynomials. We analyse the behaviour of these polynomials in the context of spectral approximation of partial differential equations. We study series expansions $u=\sum_{n=0}^\infty \hat{u}_n ϕ_n$, where the $ϕ_n$ are the Hahn polynomials. We examine the Hahn coefficients and proof spectral accuracy in some sense. We substantiate our results by numericals tests. Furthermore we discuss a problem which arise by using the Hahn polynomials in the approximation of a function $u$, which is linked to the Runge phenomenon. We suggest two approaches to avoid this problem. These will also be the motivation and the outlook of further research in the application of discrete orthogonal polynomials in a spectral method for the numerical solution of hyperbolic conservation laws.