The essential norm of a composition operator on a planar domain (Q1282986)

Let \(\Omega\) be a domain of the complex plane. If \(1\leq p<\infty\), then the Hardy space \(H^p(\Omega)\) is defined to be the class of analytic functions of the form \(f\) on \(\Omega\) for which the subharmonic function \(|f(z)|^p\) has a majorant which is a harmonic function. The essential upper bound of a function \(g\) on \(\Omega\) is denoted by \(\|g\|_e\). If the domain \(D\) of the complex plane is regular for the Dirichlet problem, then the Green's function for \(D\) with pole at \(p\in D\) is denoted by \(g_D(\Omega; p)\), and if \(\phi:\Omega\to\Omega\) is an analytic function, then a generalized form of the Nevanlinna counting function for \(\phi\) is denoted and defined by \(N_\phi(w)= \sum_{\phi(z)= w} g_\Omega(z; t_0)\), \(w\in \Omega\setminus \{\phi(t_0)\}\). The composition operator \(C_\phi\) is defined by \(C_\phi(f)(z)= f\circ \phi(z)= f(\phi(z))\). In the main theorem of this paper, the authors show that: if the domain \(\Omega\) is finitely connected, \(\phi:\Omega\to\Omega\) is analytic and \(\phi(t_0)= t_0\), then \(\|C_\phi\|^2_{e\to e}= \limsup_{w\to 1} N_\phi(w)/g(w; t_0)\). In particular, \(C_\phi\) is compact on \(H^2(\Omega)\) if and only if \(\lim_{w\in\Gamma} N_\phi(w)/g(w; t_0)= 0\), where \(\Gamma\) is the boundary of \(\Omega\). The results stated in the main theorem are indicated as having generalized the results derived for the case in which \(\Omega= \Delta\) (the open unit disk) by \textit{J. H. Shapiro} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 125, 375-404 (1987; Zbl 0642.47027)].