Stone-Weierstrass theorem


Stone-Weierstrass theorem

[′stōn ′vī·ər‚sträs ‚thir·əm] (mathematics) If S is a collection of continuous real-valued functions on a compact space E, which contains the constant functions, and if for any pair of distinct points x and y in E there is a function ƒ in S such that ƒ(x) is not equal to ƒ(y), then for any continuous real-valued function g on E there is a sequence of functions, each of which can be expressed as a polynomial in the functions of S with real coefficients, that converges uniformly to g.