Distance estimates and products of Toeplitz operators (Q1076314)

The author establishes a number of results about Douglas algebras. He proves, in particular, that the equality \(A\cap B=H^{\infty}+C\) for Douglas algebras A,B is equivalent to the equality \[ (I)\quad dist(h,H^{\infty}+C)=\max (dist(h,A),\quad dist(h,B)) \] for all \(h\in L_{\infty}\). This result produces an equivalent condition in the well- known Axler-Chang-Sarason-Volberg theorem. The conditions are observed, when (I) (where \(H^{\infty}+C\) should be replaced by \(A\cap B)\) is hold for closed subalgebras A,B of the algebra C(X) of continuous functions on the Hausdorff compact and all \(h\in C(X)\).