Weakly outer polynomials (Q1337415)

We say that a function \(f\) of class \({\mathcal N}_ * (D^ 2)\) is weakly outer if \(f(e^{is}, \cdot)\) is outer in the disc for almost every fixed \(e^{is}\), and \(f(\cdot,e^{it})\) is outer in the disc for almost every fixed \(e^{it}\). An outer function in \({\mathcal N}_ * (D^ 2)\) is weakly outer, but the converse is false. The notion of a weakly outer function has its origins in the prediction theory of two-parameter stationary random fields. Evidently, those stationary fields with the so-called ``commutation properties'' provide a natural medium in which to seek out multiparameter extensions of many classical one-parameter results. It is known that such a field possesses the ``weak commutation property'' if and only if its spectral density is the squared modulus of a weakly outer function in the Hardy space \(H^ 2 (T^ 2)\). In the present work, another prediction-theoretic result is obtained: It is shown that for weakly commutative stationary fields, the past, conditioned on the future (in the sense of quarterplanes), is finite- dimensional if and only if the associated weakly outer function is a certain type of rational function. This, in turn, points to the need to characterize the weakly outer polynomials. A complete characterization in terms of their zero sets is found.