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Chebyshev Interpolation: An Interactive Tour

Author(s): 
Scott A. Sarra

Author Information

Scott A. Sarra is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Marshall University

Abstract

Most areas of numerical analysis, as well as many other areas of mathematics as a whole, make use of the Chebyshev polynomials. In several areas, e.g. polynomial approximation, numerical integration, and pseudospectral methods for partial differential equations, the Chebyshev polynomials take a significant role. In this article we use Java applets to interactively explore some of the classical results on approximation using Chebyshev polynomials. We also discuss an active research area that uses the Chebyshev polynomials.

Technologies Used in This Article

This article uses Java for several interactive mathlets, and JavaScript to launch ancillary pages. Click on the link to install the Java plug-in if necessary. The article is given in two forms.

  • The HTML version uses GIF images for mathematical expressions.
  • The XML version uses MathML (the Mathematics Markup Language) for mathematical expressions.

The XML/MathML version is supported by the Mozilla Firefox browser (version 1.5 or later) with the MathML fonts installed, and on the Microsoft Windows platform by the Internet Explorer browser (version 6.0 or later) with the MathPlayer plug-in (version 2.0b or later). Click on the links to upgrade your browser. The MathML version has several advantages:

  • The mathematical expressions look better.
  • Expressions can be resized, and in general behave like the surrounding text.
  • In some cases expressions can be exported into other applications.

Publication Data

Published September, 2006. Article ID: 1297
Copyright © 2006 by Scott A. Sarra

Article Link

Scott A. Sarra, "Chebyshev Interpolation: An Interactive Tour," Convergence (September 2006)