Amir Hashemi
(Ed.)
We present Hermite polynomial interpolation algorithms that for a sparse univariate polynomial f with coefficients from a field compute the polynomial from fewer points than the classical algorithms. If the interpolating polynomial f has t terms, our algorithms, require argument/value triples (w^i, f(w^i), f'(w^i)) for i=0,...,t + ceiling( (t+1)/2 ) - 1, where w is randomly sampled and the probability of a correct output is determined from a degree bound for f. With f' we denote the derivative of f. Our algorithms generalize to multivariate polynomials, higher derivatives and sparsity with respect to Chebyshev polynomial bases. We have algorithms that can correct errors in the points by oversampling at a limited number of good values. If an upper bound B >= t for the number of terms is given, our algorithms use a randomly selected w and, with high probability, ceiling( t/2 ) + B triples, but then never return an incorrect output.
The algorithms are based on Prony's sparse interpolation algorithm. While Prony's algorithm and its variants use fewer values, namely, 2t+1 and t+B values f(w^i), respectively, they need more arguments w^i. The situation mirrors that in algebraic error correcting codes, where the Reed-Solomon code requires fewer values than the multiplicity code, which is based on Hermite interpolation, but the Reed-Solomon code requires more distinct arguments. Our sparse Hermite interpolation algorithms can interpolate polynomials over finite fields and over the complex numbers, and from floating point data. Our Prony-based approach does not encounter the Birkhoff phenomenon of Hermite interpolation, when a gap in the derivative values causes multiple interpolants. We can interpolate from t+1 values of f and 2t-1 values of f'.
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