A solution to the Cauchy dual subnormality problem for 2-isometries (Q2329300)

Let \({\mathcal B}({\mathcal H})\) be the algebra of all bounded linear operators on a complex Hilbert space \({\mathcal H}\). An operator \(T\in{\mathcal B}({\mathcal H})\) is called a \(2\)-isometry if \({T^*}^2T^2-2T^*T+I=0.\) Note that, if \(T\) is a \(2\)-isometry, then \(T\) is left-invertible and the Cauchy dual operator \(T':=T(T^*T)^{-1}\) is a contraction. An operator \(T\in {\mathcal B}({\mathcal H})\) satisfies the kernel condition if \(T^*T(\ker(T^*))\subset \ker(T^*),\) and is a quasi-Brownian isometry if it is a 2-isometry and \(\Delta_TT={\Delta_T}^{\frac{1}{2}}T{\Delta_T}^{\frac{1}{2}},\) where \(\Delta_T:=T^*T-I\). In the paper under review, the authors investigate a variant of the Cauchy dual subnormality problem that asks whether the Cauchy dual operator of a \(2\)-isometry is subnormal. Among other things, the authors give a purely algebraic characterization of 2-isometries satisfying the kernel condition and prove that, if \(T\in{\mathcal B}({\mathcal H})\) is a 2-isometry satisfying the kernel condition or a quasi-Brownian isometry, then its Cauchy dual operator \(T'\) is subnormal. They also show that a quasi-Brownian isometry satisfying the kernel condition must be an isometry. Moreover, they show that the Cauchy dual of a left-invertible weighted shift on a directed tree is still a weighted shift on a directed tree, and prove that 2-isometric weighted shifts on rootless directed trees with nonzero weights that satisfy the kernel condition are automatically isometric. Furthermore, they prove a reconstruction theorem stating that, if \(S_{\lambda}\) is a 2-isometric weighted shift on a rooted directed tree with nonzero weights that satisfy the so-called perturbed kernel condition, then \({S_{\lambda}}'\) is subnormal if and only if \(S_{\lambda}\) satisfies the kernel condition. This theorem allows them to answer the Cauchy dual subnormality problem, mentioned above, in the negative by constructing a completely non-unitary 2-isometric weighted shift \(S_\lambda\) on a directed trees such that \({S_\lambda}'\) is not subnormal. Finally, the authors investigate the Cauchy dual subnormality problem for adjacency operators of directed trees that are weighted shifts defined by weights equal to~1. They show that, if a rooted directed tree satisfies certain degree constraints and the corresponding adjacency operator \(S_{\mathbb{1}}\) is a 2-isometry, then the Cauchy dual operator \({S_{\mathbb{1}}}'\) is subnormal. This allows them to construct a second counterexample to such a problem by the adjacency operator on an appropriate rooted and leafless directed tree.