Functions with a finite number of negative squares on semigroups (Q1119864)

Let S be a semigroup with involution * and let k be a non-negative integer. A complex-valued function f on S with \(f(s^*)=\overline{f(s)}\) (s\(\in S)\) is said to have k negative squares if the hermitian matrix \(M=(f(s^*_ js_ i))_{1\leq i,j\leq n}\) has at most k negative eigenvalues (counted with multiplicity) for any choice of n and \(s_ 1,...,s_ n\in S\), and for some choice of n and \(s_ 1,...,s_ n\) the matrix M has exactly k negative eigenvalues. Apart from the group case a detailed study of these functions has been carried out only for the additive semigroup of non-negative integers. It is the aim of the paper to prove results for functions with k negative squares on commutative semigroups with involution. Our main tool is the theory of Pontrjagin spaces. Special attention is given to functions of finite rank, i.e., to functions whose translates span a finite dimensional linear space. Functions of finite rank are always annihilated by shift operators of a certain form, and this is the basis for section 6, where it is proved that an exponentially bounded function f with k negative squares is definitizable in the sense that \(AA^*f\) is positive definite whenever A is a shift operator of a certain form.