Explicit counterexamples to Schäffer's conjecture (Q2224714)

\textit{J. J. Schäffer} proved in [Math. Z. 118, No. 4, 331--339 (1970; Zbl 0195.41602)] that for every \(n\in\mathbb N\) there exists a constant \(\mathcal S(n)\) such that \(|\det T|\, \|T^{-1}\| \le \mathcal S \|T\|^{n-1}\) for any invertible \((n\times n)\)-matrix \(T\) and any operator norm, and that \(\mathcal S(n)\le \sqrt{en}\). The initial conjecture that the constant \(\mathcal S\) could be chosen independently of \(n\) was found to be false by \textit{E. Gluskin} et al. [Isr. J. Math. 87, No. 1--3, 225--242 (1994; Zbl 0817.46026)] who could prove lower bounds for \(\mathcal S\). Their proof relies on probabilistic methods and is not constructive. In this paper, the authors use a different approach which allows them to construct a sequence of upper triangular Toeplitz matrices \(T_n\) with the single eigenvalue \(\lambda\neq 0\) and \(|\lambda|^n \|T_n^{-1}\| \ge c(\lambda) \sqrt{n} \|T_n\|^{n-1}\) which then shows that \(\mathcal S(n)\ge c(\lambda)\sqrt{n}\). The main idea is to use a min-max formula for \(\mathcal S(n)\) proved by \textit{H. Queffelec} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 317, No. 2, 155--158 (1993; Zbl 0810.47012)] and relate it to the norm of functions in a subset of a Wiener algebra. These norms are bounded from below by the norms of certain Blaschke products. Their asymptotic behavior is studied in a quite technical section of the paper. Finally, the Toeplitz operators are obtained as the matrix representations of the multiplication operator by the free variable in a quotient space of the aforementioned Wiener algebra. The article contains many references and an overview over currently available upper and lower bounds on \(\mathcal S\).