interpolant
Noun
Meaning
A point interpolated between others
(mathematics) A function used to generate interpolation
Source: en.wiktionary.orgExamples
For example, the interpolant above has a local maximum at x ≈ 1.566, f(x) ≈ 1.003 and a local minimum at x ≈ 4.708, f(x) ≈ −1.003.
Gaussian processes can be used not only for fitting an interpolant that passes exactly through the given data points but also for regression, i.e., for fitting a curve through noisy data.
In curve fitting problems, the constraint that the interpolant has to go exactly through the data points is relaxed.
The interpolation error is proportional to the distance between the data points to the power n. Furthermore, the interpolant is a polynomial and thus infinitely differentiable.