A note on the periodic decomposition problem for semigroups (Q309952)

Let \(T_1,\dots, T_n\) be commuting power-bounded operators on a Banach space. The author studies sufficient conditions for the validity of the equality \(\ker (T_1-\mathrm {I})\cdots (T_n-\mathrm {I})=\ker (T_1-\mathrm {I})+\cdots +\ker (T_n-\mathrm {I})\). In the particular case of \(T_k\) being shift operators \(f(\cdot) \mapsto f(\cdot + t_k)\) in some function space on \(\mathbb R\), the set \(\ker (T_k-\mathrm {I})\) consists of \(t_k\)-periodic functions, so the problem reduces to the question whether every function \(f \in \ker (T_1-\mathrm {I})\cdots (T_n-\mathrm {I})\) can be represented as a sum \(f_1+ \dots + f_n\) of periodic functions with fixed periods \(t_k\). This explains the words ``periodic decomposition problem'' in the title of the paper. The problem was studied by \textit{M. Laczkovich} and \textit{Sz. Révész} [Acta Math. Hung. 54, No. 3--4, 329--341 (1989; Zbl 0725.26004); ibid. 55, No. 3--4, 353--363 (1990; Zbl 0736.46013)], \textit{Z. Gajda} [Acta Math. Hung. 59, No. 1--2, 103--106 (1992; Zbl 0895.46013)], \textit{V. M. Kadets} and \textit{B. M. Shumyatskiy} [Mat. Fiz. Anal. Geom. 7, No. 2, 184--195 (2000; Zbl 0962.46009); Acta Math. Hung. 90, No. 4, 293--305 (2001; Zbl 0980.47001)] and others. The author demonstrates, in particular, that the equality in this question holds true when \(T_k\) are elements of a bounded strongly continuous one-parameter semigroup \((S_t)_{t > 0}\) which is either norm continuous at infinity, or acts in a space that does not possess subspaces isomorphic to \(c_0\).