Passive systems with a normal main operator and quasi-selfadjoint systems (Q1024741)

A discrete time linear system has the form \(h_{k+1}=Ah_k+B\xi_k\), \(\sigma_k=Ch_k+D\xi_k\), \(k\geq 0\), where \(\xi_k,\sigma_k,h_k\) are vectors in separable Hilbert spaces \(\mathfrak{M}, \mathfrak{N}, \mathfrak{H}\), respectively, and \(A,B,C,D\) are bounded linear operators acting in the corresponding pairs of spaces. Such a system \(\tau\) is called passive if the operator \(T=\left[\begin{smallmatrix} D & C\\ B & A\end{smallmatrix}\right]:\mathfrak{M}\oplus\mathfrak{H}\to\mathfrak{N}\oplus\mathfrak{H}\) is contractive. General properties of passive systems are well-known [see, e.g., \textit{D.\,Z.\thinspace Arov}, Sib.\ Math.\ J.\ 20, 149--162 (1979); translation from Sib.\ Mat.\ Zh.\ 20, 211--228 (1979; Zbl 0414.93014)]. One of the most important propertires is that the transfer function \(\Theta(\lambda)=D+\lambda C(I-\lambda A)^{-1}B\) of a passive system \(\tau=(T,\mathfrak{M},\mathfrak{N},\mathfrak{H})\) belongs to the Schur class \(\mathbf S(\mathfrak{M},\mathfrak{N})\) of holomorphic functions on the unit disk \(\mathbb{D}=\{\lambda\in\mathbb{C}:|\lambda|<1\}\) whose values are contractive linear operators from \(\mathfrak{M}\) to \(\mathfrak{N}\) and, conversely, any function \(\Theta\in\mathbf S(\mathfrak{M},\mathfrak{N})\) can be realized as the transfer function of some passive system \(\tau\). In the paper under review, the authors study passive linear systems whose main operators \(A\) are normal. A theorem on unitary similarity of two minimal passive systems with normal main operators satisfying some additional spectral conditions is proved. In general, two minimal passive systems are only weakly similar due to Arov's result in [op.\,cit.]. We also note that criteria for similarity and unitary similarity of minimal passive systems were obtained by \textit{D.\,Z.\thinspace Arov} and \textit{M.\,A.\thinspace Nudel'man} [Ukr.\ Mat.\ Zh.\ 52, No.\,2, 147--156 (2000; Zbl 0974.47007) and Mat.\ Sb.\ 193, No.\,6, 3--24 (2002; Zbl 1085.47016)]. Another theme in the paper is passive quasi-selfadjoint systems (or pqs-systems for short) \(\tau=(T,\mathfrak{N},\mathfrak{N},\mathfrak{H})\), i.e., such that \(\text{ran }(T-T^*)\subset\mathfrak{N}\). The operator \(T\) in this case is called a quasi-selfadjoint contraction. The subclass \(\mathbf{S}^{\text{qs}}(\mathfrak{N})\) of the Schur class \(\mathbf{S}(\mathfrak{N}):=\mathbf{S}(\mathfrak{N},\mathfrak{N})\), consisting of transfer functions of all pqs-systems, is analytically characterized, and minimal pqs-system realizations of functions from the class \(\mathbf{S}^{\text{qs}}(\mathfrak{N})\) are studied. Inner and co-inner functions from \(\mathbf{S}^{\text{qs}}(\mathfrak{N})\), as well as bi-inner dilations of functions from \(\mathbf{S}^{\text{qs}}(\mathfrak{N})\) which belong to \(\mathbf{S}^{\text{qs}}(\mathfrak{V})\), for some separable Hilbert space \(\mathfrak{V}\supset\mathfrak{N}\), are characterized. The connection between the transfer function of a pqs-system \(\tau=(T,\mathfrak{N},\mathfrak{N},\mathfrak{H}\)) and the \(Q\)-function of the quasi-selfadjoint contraction \(T\) [cf.\ the authors' paper in: Oper.\ Theory, Adv.\ Appl.\ 163, 23--54 (2006; Zbl 1111.47016)] is established.