An abstract form of a theorem of Helson and applications to sets of synthesis and sets of uniqueness (Q1048192)

Let \(G\) be an infinite locally compact abelian group. A closed subset \(E\) of the dual group \(\widehat G\) is a Helson set if every continuous function vanishing at infinity \(\alpha \in C_0 (E)\) is the restriction to \(E\) of the Fourier transform of an integrable function \(a \in L^1(G)\): \(\alpha = \hat a_{|E}\). A classical result of W. Rudin, which generalizes Helson's theorem, says that \(k (E)^\perp \cap C_0 (E)=\{0\}\) for every Helson set \(E\), where \(k(E)= \{a\in L^1(G)\); \(\hat a=0\) on \(E\}\), and \(k(E)^\perp\) is its orthogonal in \(L^\infty (G)\). In the paper under review, the author gives a short and simple proof of a general form of this result. Let \(A\) be a Banach algebra which is semisimple, regular, Tauberian and weakly compactly generated, and \(X\) and \(Y\) two normed closed invariant subspaces of \(A^\ast\); one has \(X \cap Y = \{0\}\) if the following conditions hold: a) \(X\) is weakly sequentially complete, b) for every \(f \in Y\) the subspace \(Z_f = \overline{A.f} \subseteq A^\ast\) (norm closure) does not contain \(\ell_1\), and c) \(X \cap Y \cap \Delta (A) = \emptyset\) (where \(\Delta (A)\) is the Gelfand spectrum of \(A\)). In particular, for every noncompact l.c.a. \(\sigma\)-compact group \(G\), and every weakly sequentially complete closed invariant subspace \(X\) of \(L^\infty (G)\), one has \(X \cap C_0 (G) =\{0\}\) (here \(A = L^1 (G)\)). This applies also to the Figà-Talamanca-Herz algebra \(A_p (G)\) for a nondiscrete locally compact amenable and first countable group \(G\) for weakly sequentially complete invariant subspaces \(X\) of \(PM_p (G)\): \(X \cap PF_p (G) = \{0\}\) (this version of Helson's theorem was proved first by \textit{C. Dunkl} and \textit{D. Ramirez} [Mich. Math. J. 19, 65--69 (1972; Zbl 0213.13602)]. The author then gives applications of his result to sets of synthesis. He gives in particular sufficient conditions for a closed subset \(E\) of \(\widehat G\), the dual of a noncompact l.c.a. group \(G\) to be of synthesis, or for the union of two sets of synthesis to be also of synthesis. Using Arens regularity, the author shows that \(k (E)^\perp \subseteq WAP (G)\) for every Helson set \(E \subseteq \widehat G\). The author also uses his principal result to give several sufficient conditions for a closed subset \(E\) of \(\widehat G\) (\(G\) a noncompact l.c.a. \(\sigma\)-compact group) to be a set of uniqueness, i.e., \(L^\infty_E (G) \cap C_0 (G) = \{0\}\)). In particular, it suffices that \(L^\infty_E (G)\) is weakly sequentially complete (or, merely, that \(Z_f = \overline{L^1 (G) \ast f}\) is weakly sequentially complete, for every \(f \in L^\infty_E (G)\)). The paper ends with several questions.