Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2012 / iii / Paper 70 / 2 / b

The integer endpoint hypothesis is important. Let $r_{n,k}=\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{n}{k}\right)f(k/n)-\lfloor \left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{n}{k}\right)f(k/n)\rfloor$. The floor function gives $0\le r_{n,k}<1$, while $r_{n,0}=r_{n,n}=0$ because $f(0)$ and $f(1)$ are integers. Therefore the rounded Bernstein polynomial satisfiesFor $0\le x\le 1/4$, the successive terms have ratio $x/(1-x)\le 1/3$, so the geometric series estimate givesThe last inequality follows by maximizing $x(1-x{)}^{n-1}$ at $x=1/n$. The same bound holds on $[3/4,1]$ by reflection. On $[1/4,3/4]$, each factor $x$ and $1-x$ is at most $3/4$, giving $S_n(x)\le (n-1)(3/4{)}^n$. ThusHere $n\ge 2$; for $n=1$ the difference vanishes. Without the integer endpoint hypothesis the claim would fail: at $x=0$ the error is $f(0)-\lfloor f(0)\rfloor$, independently of $n$.