Operators associated with conditionally positive definite kernels. (Q1890446)

Given a nonempty subset \(\Omega\subset\mathbb R^l\) and a subspace \(\mathcal P\) of polynomials in \(l\) variables with complex coefficients, a Hermitian kernel \(f:\Omega\times \Omega \rightarrow \mathbb C\) is called conditionally positive definite with respect to \(\mathcal P\) if for all \(\{x_1,\ldots,x_k\}\subset\Omega\) and \(\{c_1,\ldots,c_k\}\subset\mathbb C\) the associated quadratic form \[ \sum_{\mu,\nu=1}^k c_\mu\overline c_\nu f(x_\mu,x_\nu)\geq 0 \] as long as \(\sum_\mu c_\mu p(x_\mu)=0\) for all \(p\in\mathcal P\). This concept is a quite natural extension of the well-known positive definiteness, the latter occurs for \(\mathcal P=\{0\}\). The authors study certain linear and nonlinear operators that leave the class of strictly conditionally positive kernels invariant. The case when \(\mathcal P\) is the space of all polynomials of the degree at most \(m\) restricted to \(\Omega\) is of particular concern. The author's interest in such operators and in the classes of kernels has its origin in approximation theory.