Isometric dilations of commuting contractions and Brehmer positivity (Q2148583)

Let \(T = (T_1, \dots, T_n)\) be an \(n\)-tuple of commuting contractions on a (complex and separable) Hilbert space \(\mathcal{H}\). A commuting tuple of isometries \((V_1, \dots, V_n)\) on some Hilbert space \(\mathcal{K} ( \supseteq \mathcal{H})\) is said to be an isometric dilation (or co-isometric extension, to be precise) of \(T\) if \[ T_{1}^{*k_1} \dots T_n^{*k_n} = (V_{1}^{*k_1} \cdots V_n^{*k_n})|_{\mathcal{H}}, \] for all \((k_1, \dots, k_n) \in \mathbb{Z}_+^n\). The existence of isometric dilations of single contractions is the classical result of \textit{B. Sz.-Nagy} and \textit{C. Foiaş} [Harmonic analysis of operators on Hilbert space. Amsterdam-London: North-Holland Publishing Company (1970; Zbl 0201.45003)], and the seminal paper of \textit{T. Andô} [Acta Sci. Math. 24, 88--90 (1963; Zbl 0116.32403)] assures the same for pairs of commuting contractions. However, the existence of isometric dilations of \(n\)-tuples of commuting contractions, for \(n \geq 3\), is not true in general. Counterexamples appear even at the level of triples of commuting matrices. Subsequently, identifying classes of \(n\)-tuples of commuting contractions, \(n \geq 3\), admitting isometric dilations is a challenging problem. There is a handful of papers that address this delicate issue. For instance, see [\textit{A. Grinshpan} et al., J. Funct. Anal. 256, No. 9, 3035--3054 (2009; Zbl 1167.47009)] and [\textit{S. Barik} et al., Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 372, No. 2, 1429--1450 (2019; Zbl 1475.47007)]. This paper identifies a class of \(n\)-tuples of commuting contractions that admit isometric dilations. The tuples satisfy certain positivity conditions related to the classical Brehmer positivity for commuting contractions. Part of the motivation comes from [\textit{J. R. Archer}, Oper. Theory: Adv. Appl. 171, 17--35 (2006; Zbl 1122.47005)] and [Barik et al., loc. cit.].