For functions $f$ in Dirichlet-type spaces we study how to determine
constructively optimal polynomials $p_n$ that minimize $\|p f-1\|_\alpha$ among
all polynomials $p$ of degree at most $n$. Then we give upper and lower bounds
for the rate of decay of $\|p_{n}f-1\|_{\alpha}$ as $n$ approaches $\infty$.
Further, we study a generalization of a weak version of the Brown-Shields
conjecture and some computational phenomena about the zeros of optimal
polynomials.Comment: 26 pages, 2 figures, submitted for publicatio