Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2006/iii/paper-67/1/solution

For , the Bernstein polynomial is
The weights sum to one by the binomial theorem. Equivalently, if has the binomial distribution with parameters , then . This interpretation makes the cancellation of apparent high-degree terms transparent.
For the falling factorial , with , direct cancellation in the binomial weights gives
The polynomials form a monic triangular basis of the degree-at-most- polynomials. Hence , and
For , its leading coefficient is . If has actual degree and leading coefficient , linearity shows that the leading coefficient of is ; lower-degree terms cannot cancel it. Thus the Bernstein polynomial degree preservation property gives
This includes the requested , and also explains why the property cannot simply be extended to .
The same moments give and . Therefore
The first two approximation errors vanish identically, while
All three convergences are consequently uniform convergence on .

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