The essential norm of operators on \({A^p_\alpha(\mathbb{B}_n)}\) (Q1946552)

The weighted Bergman space \(A_\alpha^p\) on the unit ball \({\mathbb B}_n\) of \({\mathbb C}^n\) consists of all functions \(f\) holomorphic on \({\mathbb B}_n\) for which \[ \left\|f\right\|^p_{A^p_\alpha}:= \int_{{\mathbb B}_n} \left|f(z)\right|^p(1-|z|^2)^\alpha\, d\nu(z)<\infty, \] where \(d\nu\) is the standard Lebesgue measure. For any operator \(S\) acting on \(A_\alpha^p\), its Berezin transform is the function \(B(S)\) the value of which at \(z\in{\mathbb B}_n\) is the pairing of \(k_z^{(q,\alpha)}\) and \(Sk_z^{(p,\alpha)}\). Here, \(1<p<\infty\), \(q=p/(p-1)\), \(\alpha>-1\), and \[ k_\lambda^{(r,\alpha)}(z)=\frac{(1-|\lambda|^2)^{(n+1+\alpha)/q}}{(1-\overline{\lambda}z)^{n+1+\alpha}}, \quad r=p,q. \] The main result of the paper is a compactness criterion, according to which \(S\) is compact if and only if it belongs to the algebra \({\mathcal T}_{p,\alpha}\) generated by all Toeplitz operators with \(L_\infty\) symbols acting on \(A_\alpha^p\) and \(\lim_{|z|\to 1} B(S)(z)=0\). This is a generalization of an earlier result by the second author [Indiana Univ. Math. J. 56, No. 5, 2185--2232 (2007; Zbl 1131.47024)] from the unweighted case \(\alpha=0\).