This book is aimed at the approximation of set-valued functions with compact sets in an Euclidean space as values. The interest in set-valued functions is rather new. Such functions arise in various modern areas such as control theory, dynamical systems and optimization. The authors' motivation also comes from the newer field of geometric modeling, in particular from the problem of reconstruction of 3D objects from 2D cross-sections. This is reflected in the focus of this book, which is the approximation of set-valued functions with general (not necessarily convex) sets as values, while previous results on this topic are mainly confined to the convex case. The approach taken in this book is to adapt classical approximation operators and to provide error estimates in terms of the regularity properties of the approximated set-valued functions. Specialized results are given for functions with 1D sets as values.

This book is aimed at the approximation of set-valued functions with compact sets in an Euclidean space as values. The interest in set-valued functions is rather new. Such functions arise in various modern areas such as control theory, dynamical systems and optimization. The authors' motivation also comes from the newer field of geometric modeling, in particular from the problem of reconstruction of 3D objects from 2D cross-sections. This is reflected in the focus of this book, which is the approximation of set-valued functions with general (not necessarily convex) sets as values, while previous results on this topic are mainly confined to the convex case. The approach taken in this book is to adapt classical approximation operators and to provide error estimates in terms of the regularity properties of the approximated set-valued functions. Specialized results are given for functions with 1D sets as values.

This is an easily accessible account of the approximation of functions. It is simple and without unnecessary details, but complete enough to include the classical results of the theory. With only a few exceptions, only functions of one real variable are considered. A major theme is the degree of uniform approximation by linear sets of functions. This encompasses approximations by trigonometric polynomials, algebraic polynomials, rational functions, and polynomial operators. The chapter on approximation by operators does not assume extensive knowledge of functional analysis. Two chapters cover the important topics of widths and entropy. The last chapter covers the solution by Kolmogorov and Arnol?d of Hilbert's 13th problem. There are notes at the end of each chapter that give information about important topics not treated in the main text. Each chapter also has a short set of challenging problems, which serve as illustrations.

Papers and articles about approximation theory.

Heinz Bauer (1928-2002) was one of the prominent figures in Convex Analysis and Potential Theory in the second half of the 20th century. The Bauer minimum principle and Bauer's work on Silov's boundary and the Dirichlet problem are milestones in convex analysis. Axiomatic potential theory owes him what is known by now as Bauer harmonic spaces. These Selecta collect more than twenty of Bauer's research papers including his seminal papers in Convex Analysis and Potential Theory. Above his research contributions Bauer is best known for his art of writing survey articles. Five of his surveys on different topics are reprinted in this volume. Among them is the well-known article Approximation and Abstract Boundary, for which he was awarded with the Chauvenet Price by the American Mathematical Association in 1980.