Toeplitz projections and essential commutants (Q2347829)

Let \(B(\mathcal H)\) be the set of all bounded linear operators on a complex Hilbert space \({\mathcal H}\). Let \(T\in B({\mathcal H})^n\) be a subnormal tuple, that is, a commuting tuple that can be extended to a commuting tuple of normal operators on a larger Hilbert space. The minimal normal extension of \(T\) is denoted by \(U\in B(\hat{\mathcal H})^n\). Fix a scalar spectral measure \(\mu\) for \(U\). There exists an isomorphism of von Neumann algebras \(\Psi_U:L^\infty(\mu)\to W^*(U)\subset B(\hat{\mathcal H})\). Consider the restriction algebra \({\mathcal R}_T=\{f\in L^\infty(\mu):\Psi_U(f){\mathcal H}\subset{\mathcal H}\}\subset L^\infty(\mu)\). Let \(A\subset C(K)\) be a closed subalgebra of the Banach algebra of all complex-valued functions on a compact subset \(K\subset{\mathbb C}^n\) such that \(A\) contains at least the polynomials. A subnormal tuple \(A\in B({\mathcal H})^n\) is said to be an \(A\)-isometry if the spectrum of the minimal normal extension \(U\in B(\hat{\mathcal H})^n\) of \(T\) is contained in the Shilov boundary \(\partial A\) of \(A\) and if \(A|_{\partial A}\subset {\mathcal R}_T\). A tuple \(T\in B({\mathcal H})^n\) is said to be a regular \(A\)-isometry if \(T\) is an \(A\)-isometry and the triple \((A,K,\mu)\) is regular in the sense of Alexandrov, that is, if for every function \(\phi\in C(K)\) with \(\phi>0\) on \(K\), there is a sequence \((\phi_k)\) of functions in \(A\) with \(|\phi_k|<\phi\) on \(K\) and \(\lim_{k\to\infty}|\phi_k|=\phi\) \(\mu\)-almost everywhere on \(K\). The abstract \(T\)-Toeplitz operators are defined as those operators \(X\in B({\mathcal H})\), which satisfy the Brown-Halmos condition \(T_\theta^* XT_\theta=X\) for all \(\mu\)-inner functions \(\theta\). In the paper under review, a projection \(\Phi_T:B({\mathcal H})\to B({\mathcal H})\) onto the set of all abstract \(T\)-Toeplitz operators is constructed. It is shown that every operator \(S\) in the essential commutant of the analytic Toeplitz operators associated with an essentially normal \(A\)-isometry \(T\in B({\mathcal H})^n\) is a compact perturbation of the Toeplitz operator \(\Phi_T(S)\). A complete characterization of the essential commutant of essentially normal regular \(A\)-isometries is given. It is proved that the Toeplitz projection annihilates the compact operators if and only if \(T\) possesses no joint eigenvalues. As applications, an essential version of the Hartman-Wintner spectral inclusion theorem is proved and a new proof of the Johnson-Parrott theorem on the essential commutant of abelian von Neumann algebras for separable Hilbert spaces is given. Finally, short exact sequences of Toeplitz algebras are constructed.