\(K\)-spherical representations for Gelfand pairs associated to solvable Lie groups (Q1389876)

Let \(S\) be a connected and simply connected unimodular solvable Lie group, \(K\) a connected compact Lie group acting on \(S\) as automorphisms. We call the pair \((K;S)\) a Gelfand pair if the Banach *-algebra \(L^1(K \setminus K\ltimes S/K)\) of all \(K\)-biinvariant integrable functions on \(K\ltimes S\) is a commutative algebra. We first show that each \(S\) and \(K\ltimes S\) has the structure of a split group extension of the nilradical \(N\) of \(S\) if \((K;S)\) is a Gelfand pair. With the splitting structures of \(S\) and \(K\ltimes S\) we construct irreducible \(K\)-spherical representations of \(K\ltimes S\) corresponding to bounded \(K\)-spherical functions on \(S\) from irreducible unitary representations of \(N\).