Optimal relationships between \((L^p)\)-norms for the Hardy operator and its dual (Q2014998)

The Hardy operator \(H\) acting on nonnegative measurable functions \(f\) on \((0,\infty)\) is defined by \(Hf(x)=\frac 1x \int_0^x f(t)\,dt\), and its dual \(H^*\) by \(H^*f(x)=\frac 1x \int_x^\infty \frac {f(t)}t\,dt\). It is known that the estimates \(c_1\|Hf\|_p\leq\|H^*f\|_p\leq c_2\|Hf\|_p\) hold for \(1<p<\infty\) with the constants \(c_1=\frac 1{p'}\) and \(c_2=p\). However, these constants are not optimal. The author proves that the best possible constants are \(c_1=p-1\), \(c_2=(p-1)^{1/p}\) if \(1<p\leq2\), and \(c_1=(p-1)^{1/p}\), \(c_2=p-1\) if \(2\leq p<\infty\). He also proves that these estimates have equivalent form \(c_1\|H\varphi-\varphi\|_p\leq\|\varphi\|_p\leq c_2\|H\varphi-\varphi\|_p\) for nonincreasing nonnegative functions \(\varphi\) on \((0,\infty)\) vanishing in \(\infty\), with the same optimal constants \(c_1\), \(c_2\). The result provides an alternative proof of the particular results by \textit{N. Kruglyak} and \textit{E. Setterqvist} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 136, No. 7, 2505--2513 (2008; Zbl 1156.46027)] for \(p=2k\), \(k\in\mathbb N\), and by \textit{S. Boza} and \textit{J. Soria} [J. Funct. Anal. 260, No. 4, 1020--1028 (2011; Zbl 1216.47051)] for \(p\geq2\).