Matricial Nehari problems, \(J\)-inner matrix functions and the Muckenhoupt condition (Q5933452)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a Hankel operator, \(\Gamma: H^2_+ \to H^2_-\) (those are standard Hardy spaces of the unit disc \({\mathbf D}\)), \(\|\Gamma \|\leq 1\). A function \( f\in L^\infty ({\mathbf T})\) is said to be its symbol if \(\Gamma = P_-f|H^2_+\). The Nehari problem consists of describing all the symbols \(f\) such that \(\|f \|_\infty \leq 1\). The classical Adamjan-Arov-Krein formula parametrizes all those symbols in indeterminate case: \[ f={{{\overline p} {\mathcal E} +{\overline q}}\over{q{\mathcal E}+p}}, \] where \(p\) and \(q\) are Smirnov class functions, determined essentially uniquely by \(\Gamma\) and \({\mathcal E}\) is a parameter varying over \(H^\infty_+\). Moreover, \(p\) is outer, \(q(0)=0\) and \(|p|^2-|q|^2=1\) a.e. on the unit circle \({\mathbf T}\). The matrix of coefficients \(A=\left[\begin{smallmatrix}{\overline p} & {\overline q }\\ {q} & {p}\end{smallmatrix}\right]\) of the linear fractional transformation parametrizing the set of all solutions, is called the \(\gamma\)-generating matrix-function. A \(\gamma\)-generating mvf (matrix-valued function) \(A\) is called singular if \({{\overline q}\over{p}}\in H^\infty _+\) and it is called regular if it cannot be factorized as \(A=A_1 A_2\) with a \(\gamma\)-generating mvf \(A_1\) and a nonconstant \(\gamma\)-generating singular mvf \(A_2\). A Nehari problem is said to be strictly indeterminate if \(\|\Gamma \|< 1 \); the corresponding (regular) \(\gamma\)-generating mvf is called a strongly regular \(\gamma\)-generating mvf. The authors show that the strict indeterminateness of the Nehari problem is equivalent to the positivity of the angle \(\alpha\) between weighted ``past'' and ``future'' with respect to the weight \(\Delta=|p+q|^2\). More precisely, \(\|\Gamma\|=\cos{\alpha}\). As it was proved by \textit{R. Hunt, B. Muckenhoupt} and \textit{R. Wheeden} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 176, 227-251 (1973; Zbl 0262.44004)] for the scalar case and by \textit{S. Treil} and \textit{A. Volberg} [J. Funct. Anal. 143, No. 2, 269-308(1997; Zbl 0876.42027)] for the matrix case, the latter is equivalent to the Muckenhoupt Condition on the weight \(\Delta\). Making use of Muckenhoupt Condition, the authors produce examples of an unbounded strongly regular \(\gamma\)-generating mvf and of an unbounded entire \(J\)-inner strongly regular mvf. The first example shows that the central (maximum entropy) solution of the associated Nehari problem has \(L^\infty\)-norm one, although \(\|\Gamma\|<1\). The second example demonstrates the same phenomenon in the context of the Krein's extension problem. Another achievement in the paper is producing explicit formulas for a right singular factor for an arbitrary \(\gamma\)-generating (or \(J\)-inner) mvf. If this factor turns to be nonconstant, then the original mvf is not regular, which gives an observable sufficient condition for nonregularity. \smallskip In conclusion note that all the results in the paper are formulated and proved for matrix problems (not scalar only).