A note on approximation of semigroups of contractions on Hilbert spaces (Q734986)

In this paper, the author proves that, in the case of a separable, infinite-dimensional Hilbert space \(X\), for every contractive \(C_{0}\)-semigroup \((T(t))_{t \geq 0}\) on \(X\), there exists a sequence of unitary \(C_{0}\)-groups \((U_n(t))_{t \in \mathbb{R}}\), \(n \in \mathbb{N}\), on \(X\), convergent to \((T(t))_{t \geq 0}\) in the weak operator topology uniformly on compact subsets of \(\mathbb{R}_{+}\). This theorem is a semigroup version of Peller's result on the approximation of Hilbert space contractions by unitary operators, and its proof is based on \textit{V.\,V.\thinspace Peller}'s technique of approximation of separation-preserving contractions on \(L_p(0,1)\) \((1 < p < \infty)\) by invertible isometries, see Sect.\,3 of [Funct.\ Anal.\ Appl.\ 12, 29--38 (1978; Zbl 0405.47013)]. The author of the paper under review observes that this result holds also if \(X\) is not separable. This case can be reduced to the case of separable \(X\) by using the fact that \(X\) can be represented then as an orthogonal sum of infinite-dimensional, separable and \((T(t))_{t \geq 0}\)-invariant subspaces of \(X\). The proof of the existence of such a decomposition requires standard set-theoretical arguments, such as the Hausdorff maximal principle. Using the main approximation result of the paper and \textit{C.\,Le Merdy}'s characterization of a bounded \(H^{\infty}\)-calculus for the negatives of generators of bounded holomorphic semigroups [Semigroup Forum 56, No.\,2, 205--224 (1998; Zbl 0998.47028)], the author also shows that, in the case of a separable, infinite-dimensional Hilbert space \(X\), for every bounded holomorphic \(C_{0}\)-semigroup \((T(t))_{t \geq 0}\) on \(X\) with generator \(-A\) such that \(A\) is injective, it holds that \(A\) has a bounded \(H^{\infty}\)-calculus if and only if there exists a bijection \(S \in \mathcal{L}(X)\) and a sequence \((U_n(t))_{t \in \mathbb{R}}\), \(n \in \mathbb{N}\), of unitary \(C_{0}\)-groups on \(X\) such that \(((S U_n(t) S^{-1})_{t \in \mathbb{R}})_{n \in \mathbb{N}}\) converges to \((T(t))_{t \geq 0}\) in the weak operator topology uniformly on compact subsets of \(\mathbb{R}_{+}\). Finally, he also obtains a partial affirmative answer to a question of \textit{T.\,Eisner} and \textit{A.\,Serény} [Ergodic Theory Dyn.\ Syst.\ 29, No.\,2, 487--494 (2009; Zbl 1160.37304)] regarding the topological structure of the set of (almost) weakly stable contractive \(C_{0}\)-semigroups on \(X\).