On rank invariance of Schwarz-Pick-Potapov block matrices of matricial Schur functions (Q1880348)

Let \(f\) be a \(p\times q\) matrix valued function holomorphic in the open disc \({\mathbb D}=\{z\in{\mathbb C}: | z| <1\}\). It is known that \(f\) belongs to the Schur class of contractive functions if and only if either of the Schwarz-Pick-Potapov matrices \[ P_n(f)=\left(\dfrac{I-f(z_j)f(z_k)^*}{1-z_jz_k^*}\right)_{j,k=1}^n,\quad Q_n(f)=\left(\dfrac{I-f(z_k)^*f(z_j)}{1-z_jz_k^*}\right)_{j,k=1}^n \] is nonnegative Hermitian. The authors show that the ranks of \(P_n(f)\), \(Q_n(f)\) are independent on the choice of the sequences \(\{z_j\}_{j=1}^n\) and calculate them in terms of the Taylor coefficients \(A_j(f)\), \(j\in{\mathbb Z}_+\) of \(f\). A generalization of the classical Schur algorithm for Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation problem in the class of matrix-valued Schur functions is also considered. The result on rank invariance of the Schwarz-Pick-Potapov matrices is applied in order to show that the feasibility of the generalized Schur algorithm is independent on the choice of the sequence of interpolation points. The number \(n\) of steps such that this algorithm breaks down after the \(n\)-th step is characterized in terms of the Taylor coefficients of \(f\).