Positive commutators \(i[f(P),g(Q)]\) (Q1174992)

Consider the operators \(Qu(t)=tu(t)\) and \(Pu(t)=-iu'(t)\) on \(L^ 2(R)\). \textit{J. S. Howland} [J. Funct. Anal. 74, 52-80 (1987; Zbl 0646.47011)] showed that for the two functions \(f(x)=\arctan(x/2)\) and \(g(x)=\tanh(x)\), the commutator \(R_{f,g}=i[f(P),g(Q)]\) is a positive definite operator on \(L^ 2(R)\). The present paper provides a large class of pairs \(\{f,g\}\) for which this is true. Namely, let \(K_ a\) be the set of all real-valued bounded functions \(f(x)\) on \(R\), admitting a holomorphic extension on the strip \(|\text{Im}(z)|<a\) with \((\text{Im}(z))(\text{Im} f(z))>0\). We have the interesting Theorem: Let \(a>0\), \(f\in K_ a\), \(g\in K_{\pi/2a}\). Then \(R_{f,g}=i[f(P),g(Q)]\geq0\). Moreover, \(R_{f,g}\) is a trace class operator. The author proves also that \(R_{f,g}=0\) if and only if at least one of the functions \(f\), \(g\) is constant, and describes all pairs \(\{f,g\}\) for which \(R_{f,g}\) is a positive definite operator of rank one.