Wolff's ideal theorem on \(Q_p\) spaces (Q2288232)

Let \(H^\infty\) denote the Banach algebra of bounded analytic functions on the unit disk. \textit{L. Carleson}'s corona theorem, proved in [Ann. Math. (2) 76, 547--559 (1962; Zbl 0112.29702)], asserts that the unit disk \(\mathbb{D}\) is dense in the maximal ideal space of \(H^\infty\). This theorem can be formulated in the following way: if \(f_1,\dots,f_n\) are functions in the unit ball of \(H^\infty\) such that \[ |f_1(z)|+\dots+|f_n(z)|\ge \delta>0,\quad z\in\mathbb{D}, \] then the ideal generated by \(\{f_1,\dots,f_n\}\) contains the constant function \(1\), and there are functions \(g_1,\dots,g_n\in H^\infty\) such that \(f_1g_1+\dots+f_ng_n=1\). Let \(Q_p\) denote the space of analytic functions on the unit disk \(\mathbb{D}\) such that \[ \Vert f\Vert_{Q_p}^2:=\int_{-\pi}^{\pi} |f|^2 d\sigma + \sup_{a\in\mathbb{D}}\int_\mathbb{D}|f^{'}(z)|^2(1-|\varphi_a(z)|^2)^p dA(z)<\infty, \] where \(\varphi_a(z)=\frac{a-z}{1-\overline{a}z}\) is a Möbius map. It is well-known that \(Q_0\) is the Dirichlet space, and \(Q_1=\text{BMOA}\). The multiplier algebra of \(Q_p\) consists of all functions \(\phi\in Q_p\) such that \(\phi Q_p\subseteq Q_p\). This algebra is denoted by \(\mathcal{M}(Q_p)\) and is known to be a subset of \(Q_p\cap H^\infty\). In light of the corona theorem for \(H^\infty\), it is natural to ask whether a corona type result stands true if one replaces the constant lower bound by a function in \(H^\infty\). In other words, if \(g\in H^\infty\) satisfies \[ |f_1(z)|+\dots+|f_n(z)|\ge |g(z)|,\quad z\in\mathbb{D}, \] can we conclude that \(g\) belongs to the ideal generated by \(\{f_1,\dots,f_n\}\) or not. The answer is of course negative (see the book written by \textit{J. B. Garnett} [Bounded analytic functions. New York etc.: Academic Press, A subsidiary of Harcourt Brace Javanovich, Publishers. (1981; Zbl 0469.30024), page 369], however, according to a result due to Wolff, if \[ |f_1(z)|^2+\dots+|f_n(z)|^2\ge |g(z)|^2,\quad z\in\mathbb{D}, \] then \(g^3\) belongs to the ideal generated by \(\{f_1,\dots,f_n\}\) (again, see [Garnett, loc. cit.]). In the paper under review, the author extends Wolff's theorem to the Banach algebra \(Q_p\cap H^\infty\), and the multiplier algebra \(\mathcal{M}(Q_p)\) for \(p\in (0,1)\). It is shown in Theorem 1 that if \(g, f_1,\dots,f_n\in Q_p\cap H^\infty\) satisfy the above inequality, then there are functions \(g_1,\dots,g_n\in Q_p\cap H^\infty\) such that \[ g^3(z)=f_1g_1+\dots+f_ng_n. \] A similar result is proved for \(\mathcal{M}(Q_p)\) (see Theorem 2).