The Corona property in Nevanlinna quotient algebras and interpolating sequences (Q1729715)

The authors deal with the Bézout equation in the quotient algebra $\mathcal{N}/I\mathcal{N}$ where $\mathcal{N}$ is the Nevanlinna class and $I$ is an inner function. We recall that a function $f$ holomorphic in the unit disc $\mathbb{D}$ is in the Nevanlinna class if the function $\log^{+}|f|$ has a harmonic majorant in $\mathbb{D}$. The Bézout equation comes from the classical corona theorem for $H^{\infty}$ solved by Carleson. Given $f_{1},\dotsc, f_{n}\in H^{\infty}$ one asks if there exist $g_{1},\dotsc,g_{n}\in H^{\infty}$ such that the Bézout equation $f_{1}g_{1}+\dotsb+f_{n} g_{n}\equiv 1$ holds. The answer is that this is so if and only if there exists $\delta>0$ such that \[ |f_{1}(z)|+\dotsb+|f_{n}(z)| \ge \delta, \quad z\in\mathbb{D}. \] For the Nevanlinna class, given $f_{1},\dotsc, f_{n}\in\mathcal{N}$ the Bézout equation can be solved with $g_{1},\dotsc,g_{n}\in\mathcal{N}$ if and only if there exists $H\in\operatorname{Har}_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ (the class of positive harmonic functions on $\mathbb{D}$) such that \[ |f_{1}(z)|+\dotsb+|f_{n}(z)| \ge e^{-H(z)}, \quad z\in\mathbb{D}. \] Let $I$ be an inner function and $\Lambda$ the set of zeros of $I$. One says that the algebra $H^{\infty}/IH^{\infty}$ has the corona property if given $f_{1},\dotsc,f_{n}\in H^{\infty}$ with \[ |f_{1}(\lambda)|+\dotsb+|f_{n}(\lambda)|\ge \delta,\quad \lambda\in \Lambda, \] for some $\delta>0$, then there exist $g_{1},\dotsc,g_{n}$, $h\in H^{\infty}$ such that $f_{1}g_{1}+\dotsb+f_{n}g_{n}=1+hI$. It is known that $\Lambda$ being a finite union of $(H^{\infty})$-interpolating sequences is a sufficient condition for $H^{\infty}/IH^{\infty}$ to have the corona property, but this condition is not necessary. The main result of this paper provides necessary and sufficient conditions in order that the algebra $\mathcal{N}/B\mathcal{N}$, where $B$ is a Blaschke product, has the corona property. Let $B$ be a Blaschke product with the set of zeros $\Lambda$, and write $\mathcal{N}_{B}=\mathcal{N}/B\mathcal{N}$. The authors define that the corona property holds for $\mathcal{N}_{B}$ if for any $f_{1},\dotsc, f_{n}\in \mathcal{N}$ for which there exists $H\in\operatorname{Har}_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ such that \[ |f_{1}(\lambda)|+\dotsb+|f_{n}(\lambda)|\ge e^{-H(\lambda)},\quad \lambda\in\Lambda, \] there exist $g_{1},\dotsc, g_{n}, h\in \mathcal{N}$ such that $f_{1}g_{1}+\dotsb +f_{n}g_{n}=1+hB$, that is, there exist $g_{1},\dotsc,g_{n}\in \mathcal{N}$ such that \[ f_{1}(\lambda)g_{1}(\lambda)+\dotsb+f_{n}(\lambda)g_{n}(\lambda)=1,\quad \lambda\in\Lambda. \] The authors introduce a Nevanlinna analogue of $(H^{\infty})$-interpolating sequences. Given a sequence $\Lambda=\{\lambda_{k}\}$ in $\mathbb{D}$, denote by $W(\Lambda)$ the set of sequences $\{w_{k}\}$ of complex numbers such that the map $\lambda_{k}\to \log^{+}|w_{k}|$, $k\ge 1$, has a positive harmonic majorant in $\mathbb{D}$. Then the authors define: A sequence $\Lambda=\{\lambda_{k}\}\subset\mathbb{D}$ is called interpolating for $\mathcal{N}$ if for any $\{w_{k}\}\in W(\Lambda)$ there exists $f\in\mathcal{N}$ such that $f(\lambda_{k})=w_{k}$, $k\ge 1$. A Blaschke product with the set of zeros $\Lambda$ is called a Nevanlinna interpolating Blaschke product if $\Lambda$ is an interpolating sequence for $\mathcal{N}$. Denote by $\rho$ the pseudohyperbolic distance in $\mathbb{D}$. Then the authors prove \begin{itemize} \item[$\bullet$] Let $B$ be a Blaschke product and let $\Lambda$ be its sequence of zeros. Then the following conditions are equivalent: \begin{itemize} \item[(a)] The corona property holds for $\mathcal{N}_{B}$. \item[(b)] For any $H_{1}\in \operatorname{Har}_{+}(\mathbb{D})$, there exists $H_{2}\in \operatorname{Har}_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ such that $|B(z)|\ge e^{-H_{2}(z)}$ for any $z\in\mathbb{D}$ such that $\rho (z,\Lambda)\ge e^{-H_{1}(z)}$. \item[(c)] $B$ is a finite product of Nevanlinna interpolating Blaschke products. \end{itemize} \end{itemize} So for the algebra $\mathcal{N}_{B}$ the fact that $B$ be a finite product of Nevanlinna interpolating Blaschke products is a necessary and sufficient condition in order that the corona property holds for $\mathcal{N}_{B}$. Given $H\in \operatorname{Har}_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ and $z\in\mathbb{D}$, denote $D_{H}(z)= D(z,e^{-H(z)})$. Given a Blaschke product $B$ and $z\in\mathbb{D}$, let $|B(\mathcal{N})(z)|$ denote the value at the point $z\in\mathbb{D}$ of the modulus of the Blaschke product obtained from $B$ after deleting the $N$ zeros of $B$ closest (in the pseudo-hyperbolic metric) to $z$. The next result collects several descriptions of finite products of Nevanlinna interpolating Blaschke products: \begin{itemize} \item[$\bullet$] Let $B$ be a Blaschke product with zeros $\Lambda$ and let $N$ be a positive integer. Then the following conditions are equivalent: \begin{itemize} \item[(a)] $B$ is a product of $N$ Nevanlinna interpolating Blaschke products. \item[(b)] There exists $H_{1}\in \operatorname{Har}_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ such that \[ |B(z)|\ge e^{-H_{1}(z)} \rho^{N} (z,\Lambda),\quad z\in\mathbb{D}. \] \item[(c)] There exists $H_{2} \in\operatorname{Har}_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ such that $|B(N)(z)| \ge e^{-H_{2}(z)}$, $z\in\mathbb{D}$. \item[(d)] There exists $H_{3} \in\operatorname{Har}_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ such that \[ D_{N}(B)(z)=\sum^{N}_{j=0}(1-|z|)^{j}|B^{(j)}(z)| \ge e^{-H_{3}(z)},\quad z\in\mathbb{D}. \] \end{itemize} \end{itemize} A consequence of these characterizations is the following result. \begin{itemize} \item[$\bullet$] Let $B$ be a finite product of Nevanlinna interpolating Blaschke products. Then there exists $H_{0}=H_{0}(B)\in\operatorname{Har}_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ such that for any $g\in H^{\infty}$ with $|g(z)|\le e^{-H_{0}(z)}$, $z\in\mathbb{D}$, the function $B-g$ factors as $B-g=B_{1}G$, where $B_{1}$ is a finite product of Nevanlinna interpolating Blaschke products, and $G\in H^{\infty}$ is such that $1/G\in H^{\infty}$. \end{itemize} Also the Smirnov class is considered. A quasi-bounded harmonic function is the Poisson integral of a measure absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure in the circle. Denote by $QB(\mathbb{D})$ the space of the quasi-bounded harmonic functions, and by $QB_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ the cone of those which are nonnegative. An analytic function $f$ in $\mathbb{D}$ is in the Smirnov class $\mathcal{N}^{+}$ if the function $\log^{+}|f|$ has a positive quasi-bounded majorant in $\mathbb{D}$. If $B$ is a Blaschke product write $\mathcal{N}_{B}^{+} =\mathcal{N}^{+}/B\mathcal{N}^{+}$. Then the authors prove the following. \begin{itemize} \item[$\bullet$] Let $B$ be a Blaschke product and let $\Lambda$ be its sequence of zeros. Then the following conditions are equivalent: \begin{itemize} \item[(a)] The corona theorem holds for $\mathcal{N}^{+}_{B}$. \item[(b)] For any $H_{1}\in QB_{+}(\mathbb{D})$, there exists $H_{2}\in QB_{+}(\mathbb{D})$ such that $|B(z)|\ge e^{-H_{2}(z)}$ for any $z\in \mathbb{D}$ such that $\rho(z,\Lambda)\ge e^{-H_{1}(z)}$. \item[(c)] $B$ is a finite product of Smirnov interpolating Blaschke products. \end{itemize} \end{itemize}