Local approximation of semialgebraic sets
Let be a closed semialgebraic subset of euclidean space of codimension at least one, and containing the origin as a non-isolated point. We prove that, for every real , there exists an algebraic set which approximates to order at . The special case generalizes the result of the authors that every semialgebraic cone of codimension at least one is the tangent cone of an algebraic set.