We give preliminary results on the HSlder exponent of wavelets of compact support.
In particular, we give a nearly complete map of this exponent for the family of four-coefficient multiresolution analyses and determine the smoothest one. This will resolve two conjectures by Colella and Hell. Wavelets of compact support can be generated via infinite products of certain matrices. The rate of growth of these products determines the regularity of the wavelet. This rate can be determined via joint, generalized, or common spectral radius of the given set of matrices. We outline a method for calculating this radius for a given set of matrices. The method relies on guessing the particular finite optimal product which satisfies the finiteness conjecture and exhibits the fastest growth. Then, we generate an optimal unit ball by taking the convex hull of the action of the semigroup of matrices, scaled by their joint radius, on the invariant ball of the scaled optimal product. If this process terminates in a finite number of steps and the convex hull does not grow, then the guessed optimal product is confirmed and the joint radius is determined. (~) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.