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For fixed $t$, put $g_t(u)=(u-t{)}_{+}^{k-1}$, a truncated power function. Begin with distinct increasing knots. The two interpolation polynomials ${\ell }_i(\cdot ,t)$ and ${\ell }_{i+1}(\cdot ,t)$ agree at their $k-1$ shared knots. Their difference has degree at most $k-1$, soFor $k=1$ the empty product is one and the same assertion holds for constant interpolants. The leading coefficient of a degree-at-most-$k-1$ interpolant on $k$ nodes is its order-$k-1$ divided difference, by the Newton interpolation polynomial. ThereforeThis proves the Lee interpolation identityThe identity holds for every real $x,t$, with the usual convention for the order-zero truncated power. Admissible repeated knots are handled by the corresponding confluent divided differences and consistent one-sided limits at breakpoints; taking these limits preserves the Lee interpolation identity.

Sum over $i$ to telescope:If $t_k<t<t_{n+1}$, the first $k$ knot values of $g_t$ are zero, so ${\ell }_1=0$. At the last $k$ knots $t_{n+1},\dots ,t_{n+k}$, the function $g_t$ agrees with the polynomial $(u-t{)}^{k-1}$, so uniqueness of polynomial interpolation gives ${\ell }_{n+1}(x,t)=(x-t{)}^{k-1}$. Thus the Marsden identity is

Put $s_j=t_{i+j}$ for $0\le j\le k$, with the knots in increasing order. The explicit formula for a divided difference at distinct nodes givesEach truncated power function is a piecewise polynomial function of degree $k-1$ and is $C^{k-2}$ for $k\ge 2$. Therefore their sum has the same global smoothness. The jump in the $(k-1)$st derivative at $s_j$ equalswhich is nonzero. Thus each $s_j$ really is a knot, and generally there is no additional smoothness.

If $t<s_0$, the values being differenced are the values of the degree-$k-1$ polynomial $(s-t{)}^{k-1}$, so their $k$th divided difference vanishes. If $t>s_k$, every sampled truncated power function is zero. To check that both support endpoints occur, for $s_0<t<s_1$ subtract the vanished full polynomial divided difference to obtainFor $s_{k-1}<t<s_k$, only the last term survives and is positive. The nonnegativity from the recurrence in (b) actually gives positivity throughout the interior: for each $s_0<t<s_k$, at least one lower-order B-spline covering $t$ has a positive recurrence coefficient, and induction starts with positive order-one indicators. Hence $\mathrm{supp}{M}_i=[t_i,t_{i+k}]$ and $M_i\in C^{k-2}$ for $k\ge 2$, with degree $k-1$ on its knot intervals. For $k=1$, the B-spline is the step function $1_{[s_0,s_1)}(t)/(s_1-s_0)$, so no continuity is asserted.

The unit-integral normalization of a B-spline also follows directly: integrating $k(s_j-t{)}_{+}^{k-1}$ over $s_0\le t\le s_k$ gives $(s_j-s_0{)}^k$. The $k$th divided difference of this monic degree-$k$ polynomial is one. Thus $\int M_i(t)dt=1$, explaining its normalization.

Use the usual strictly increasing spline knot sequence, and initially assume $k\ge 2$. The explicit formula for the order-$k$ divided difference givesEach summand is a truncated power function in $t$, with its junction at $t_j$. It is a piecewise polynomial function of degree at most $k-1$ and has $k-2$ continuous derivatives. Finite summation preserves these properties.

For $t\ge t_{i+k}$ all summands vanish. For $t\le t_i$, all spline knot data come from the polynomial $u\mapsto (u-t{)}^{k-1}$. An order-$k$ divided difference annihilates a polynomial of smaller degree, so $M_i(t)=0$ there too. Thus the support is contained in $[t_i,t_{i+k}]$.

On the last open spline knot interval only the $j=i+k$ term survives; it is a nonzero multiple of $(t_{i+k}-t{)}^{k-1}$. On the first open spline knot interval, compare the truncated spline knot data with the untruncated polynomial data: only the $j=i$ value differs. Since the untruncated divided difference is zero, the result is a nonzero multiple of $(t_i-t{)}^{k-1}$. Consequently both outer pieces are nonzero, giving exact closed support. The Cox-de Boor recurrence used below also proves positivity throughout the open support. ThereforeThis is simple-knot B-spline regularity. For $k=1$ the B-splines are interval indicators; they are piecewise constant and need not be continuous. The notation $C^{k-2}$ should then be read as no continuity requirement, not as a classical negative-order differentiability space.

The divided difference is a finite linear combination of spline knot values, so it commutes with the finite integral. For every spline knot $t_j$ in the defining interval,It follows thatbecause the order-$k$ divided difference of a monic degree-$k$ polynomial is its leading coefficient. This proves the unit-integral normalization of a B-spline.

For the partition of unity, let $N_{i,r}$ denote the partition-normalized order-$r$ B-spline. The Cox-de Boor recurrence isIt follows by substituting the explicit divided difference formula into both sides and collecting each truncated power function. The starting case is $N_{i,1}=1_{[t_i,t_{i+1})}$, with endpoint conventions irrelevant when $r\ge 2$. The two weights are nonnegative wherever their respective lower-order B-splines are nonzero. Induction therefore gives $N_{i,r}\ge 0$ and strict positivity in its open support.

Extend the finite spline knot sequence strictly in both directions, with no finite accumulation. At each point only finitely many B-splines are nonzero. For the full extended family the sum is one for order one. Summing the Cox-de Boor recurrence, the combined coefficient of $N_{j,r-1}$ isInduction gives a full partition of unity at every order. On $t_k<t<t_{n+1}$, all extended order-$k$ functions with index $i\le 0$ or $i\ge n+1$ vanish by their supports. HenceThe same argument gives the useful global subpartition of unity for B-splines, $0\le {\sum }_{i=1}^n{N}_i(t)\le 1$, including outside the basic spline knot interval.

Write the strictly increasing local spline knots as $u_j=t_{i+j}$, $0\le j\le k$. The explicit formula for a divided difference givesEach summand is a truncated power function of $t$: it is a polynomial on either side of its knot $u_j$, and for $k\ge 2$ is globally $C^{k-2}$. Hence $M_i$ is a piecewise polynomial function of degree at most $k-1$, with these spline knots and at least this global smoothness.

For $t\ge u_k$, all summands vanish. For $t<u_0$, all knot values agree with those of the ordinary polynomial $(s-t{)}^{k-1}$ in the divided-difference variable $s$. Its order-$k$ divided difference is zero, because its degree is less than $k$. Thus $M_i$ also vanishes to the left of $u_0$.

The closed support is exactly the indicated interval, rather than merely contained in it. For $u_0<t<u_1$, subtracting the omitted $j=0$ term from the zero divided difference of $(s-t{)}^{k-1}$ givesFor $u_{k-1}<t<u_k$, only the last truncated-power term survives, givingThere are therefore nonzero values arbitrarily close to either endpoint, provingAt each simple knot, the $(k-1)$st derivative has a nonzero jump from exactly one truncated-power summand, so this is also the exact global smoothness. For order $k=1$, the function is instead the normalized interval indicator; there is no assertion of classical continuity, and the notation $C^{k-2}$ is only the customary formal spline smoothness notation. This distinction is part of simple-knot B-spline regularity.

For distinct increasing knots and $k\ge 2$, the explicit divided difference formula writes an order-$k$ B-spline as a finite sum of truncated power functions of degree $k-1$. It is a piecewise polynomial function and is globally $C^{k-2}$. Below its first knot the order-$k$ divided difference annihilates a degree-$k-1$ polynomial; above its last knot all values vanish. Nonzero first and last pieces give the exact closed support. Order one gives interval indicators instead of continuous splines.

For strictly increasing spline knots, $M_i(t)=k[t_i,\dots ,t_{i+k}](\cdot -t{)}_{+}^{k-1}$ is a nonnegative integral-normalized B-spline. Integrating the truncated power function over its support replaces its spline knot value by $(u-t_i{)}^k/k$. The order-$k$ divided difference of this degree-$k$ polynomial is its leading coefficient $1/k$. Multiplying by the prefactor $k$ in $M_i$ gives integral one. The corresponding partition-normalized B-spline is $N_i=(t_{i+k}-t_i)M_i/k$.