Property A in an Infinite-Dimensional Space. I

Abstract. We prove that an infinite-dimensional space of piecewise polynomial functions of degree at most n-1 with infinitely many simple knots, n ≥ 2 , satisfies Property A. Apart from its independent interest, this result allows us to solve an open classical problem (n ≥ 3 ) in theory of best approximation: the uniqueness of best L1 -approximation by n -convex functions to an integrable, continuous function defined on a bounded interval. In this first part of the paper we prove the case n=2 and give key results in order to complete the general proof in the second part.