Invariant subspaces of \(\mathcal{H}^2(\mathbb{T}^2)\) and \(L^2(\mathbb{T}^2)\) preserving compatibility (Q2014124)

Let \(\mathcal{B}(H)\) be the algebra of bounded linear operators on a complex Hilbert space \(H\). Let \(\mathbb{T}\) be the unit circle in the complex plane, and let \(\mathbb{T}^2\) be the torus in \(\mathbb{C}^2\). Recall that \(L^2(\mathbb{T})\) and \(L^2(\mathbb{T}^2)\) denote the spaces of square integrable functions on the unit circle and on the torus, respectively. Similarly, \(H^2(\mathbb{T})\) and \(H^2(\mathbb{T}^2)\) are the Hardy spaces on the unit disk \(\mathbb{D}\) and on \(\mathbb{D}\times \mathbb{D}\), respectively. According to a well-known theorem of \textit{A. Beurling} [Acta Math. 81, 239--255 (1949; Zbl 0033.37701)], every invariant subspace \(\mathcal{M}\) of the Hardy space on the unit disk has the form \(\mathcal{M}=\psi\mathcal{M}\) where \(\psi\) is an inner function, that is, an analytic function in the unit disk whose boundary values are almost everywhere unimodular. The characterization of invariant subspaces of \(H^2(\mathbb{T}^2)\) are more complicated. Indeed, it was shown in [\textit{J. Sarkar} et al., Stud. Math. 217, No. 2, 179--192 (2013; Zbl 1290.46047)] that invariant subspaces of doubly commuting unilateral shifts can be described by inner functions. Recall that two operators \(T_1\) and \(T_2\) in \(\mathcal{B}(H)\) doubly commute if they commute and \(T_1T_2^*=T_2^*T_1\). In the sequel, \(T_z\) denotes the operator of multiplication by the independent variable \(z\); that is, \(T_zf(z)=zf(z)\) for each \(f\) in the Hardy space. A version of Beurling's theorem states that, if \(T_z\) and \(T_w\) doubly commute on the subspace \(\mathcal{M}\neq \{0\}\), invariant under \(T_z,T_w\), then \(\mathcal{M}=\psi H^2(\mathbb{T}^2)\) where \(\psi\) is an inner function. This can be generalized to the Hardy space \(H^2(\mathbb{T}^n)\); the assumption on the operators involved should be altered by the assumption that each pair of operators is doubly commuting on the invariant subspace. The paper under review aims to shed some light on the invariant subspaces that are not necessarily doubly commuting. To reach this goal, the authors use the notion of compatible isometries. A~pair of commuting isometries \(V_1\) and \(V_2\) is said to be compatible if, for all positive integers \(m,n,\) \(P_\mathrm{ran}(V_1^m)=P_\mathrm{ran}(V_2^n)\). Further, a~subset \(J\subset \mathbb{Z}^2\) is called a diagram if \(J + \mathbb{Z}^2_+\subset J\). The main result of the paper under review states the following. Let \(\{0\}\neq M \in H^2(\mathbb{T}^2)\) be an invariant subspace. Then the pair \((T_w|_M, T_z|_M)\) is compatible if and only if \(M =\phi M_J\), where \(\phi\) is an inner function, \(J\subset \mathbb{Z}^2_+\) is a diagram, and \(M_J =\bigvee\{w^iz^j : (i, j)\in J\}\). The last section of the paper is devoted to establishing similar results for the Hilbert space \(L^2(\mathbb{T}^2)\).