Weighted Approximation of functions on the unit sphere

The direct and inverse theorems are established for the best approximation in the weighted $L^p$ space on the unit sphere of $\RR^{d+1}$, in which the weight functions are invariant under finite reflection groups. The theorems are stated using a modulus of smoothness of higher order, which is proved to be equivalent to a $K$-functional defined using the power of the spherical $h$-Laplacian. Furthermore, similar results are also established for weighted approximation on the unit ball and on the simplex of $\RR^d$.