Bernstein polynomials are a remarkable family of polynomials associated to any given function on the unit interval. Their first notable appearance was in Bernstein's proof of the Weierstrass approximation theorem. This book gives an exhaustive exposition of the main facts about the Bernstein polynomials and discusses some of their applications in analysis.

The first three chapters of the book give an introduction to a theory of singular integrals by means of the particular instance of Bernstein polynomials. The author writes in the preface to this second edition, ""After the trigonometric integrals, Bernstein polynomials are the most important and interesting concrete operators on a space of continuous functions. Since the appearance of the first edition of this book [in 1953], the interest in this subject has continued. In an appendix we have summed up a few of the most important papers that have appeared since.''