An operator corona theorem for some subspaces of \(H^{\infty}\) (Q2474139)

In this paper, a corona theorem for a class of subspaces of operator-valued \(H^\infty\) functions is proved. Let \(X\) be a Banach space, \textbf{D} be the open unit disk in the complex plane and \textbf{T} be the unit circle. If \(S \subset\) \textbf{T}, then \(A_S(X)\) denotes the Banach space of functions \(f:\)\,\textbf{D}\(\cup S \to X\) that are holomorphic in \textbf{D}, and continuous and bounded on \textbf{D}\(\cup S\), equipped with the supremum norm \(\| f\| _\infty := \sup_{z \in {\mathbf D} \cup S} \| f(z)\| \). The main result of this paper is the following. Assume that \(E \subset E_*\) are separable Hilbert spaces and dim\((E) < \infty\). Suppose that \(S\) is an open subset of \textbf{T}, and that \(f \in A_S(L(E,E_*))\), where \(L(E,E_*)\) is endowed with the operator norm. Then the following are equivalent: \hfil\break (a) (Corona condition) There exists a \(\delta > 0\) such that for all \(z \in\) \textbf{D}\(\cup S\), \(f(z)^*f(z) \geq \delta^2 I\). \hfil\break (b) (Left invertibility) There exists \(g \in A_S(L(E_*,E))\) such that for all \(z \in\)\,\textbf{D}\(\cup S\), \(g(z) f(z) = I\). \hfil\break (c) (Complementing to an isomorphism) There exists \(F \in A_S(L(E_*,E_*))\) such that \(F(z)| _E = f(z)\) for all \(z \in\)\,\textbf{D}\(\cup S\). In the case of \(H^\infty (L(E,E_*))\) (that is, for \(A_S(L(E,E_*))\) where \(S = \emptyset\)), the equivalence of (a) and (b) was proved by \textit{L. Carleson} [Ann. Math. 76, 547--559 (1962; Zbl 0112.29702)] for dim\((E) = 1\) and dim\((E_*) < \infty\), by \textit{P. A. Fuhrmann} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 132, 55--66 (1968; Zbl 0187.38002)] for dim\((E_*) < \infty\), and by V.~Vasyunin (about 1990) for dim\((E) < \infty =\) dim\((E_*)\). \textit{S. Treil} [Sov. Math., Dokl. 38, No. 2, 394--399 (1989); translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 302, No. 5, 1063--1068 (1988; Zbl 0687.47004)] showed that this equivalence is not true if dim\((E) = \infty\). Still in the case \(S = \emptyset\), the equivalence of (b) and (c) was proved by \textit{V. A. Tolokonnikov} [Zap. Nauchn. Semin. Leningr. Otd. Mat. Inst. Steklova 113, 178--198 (1981; Zbl 0472.46024)] when dim\((E) < \infty\). His result was generalized to the case dim\((E) = \infty\) by \textit{S. Treil} [Geom. Funct. Anal. 14, No. 5, 1118-1133 (2004; Zbl 1057.47014)]. A strong approximation result of vector-valued bounded holomorphic functions in \textbf{D} is demonstrated in the paper under review, and then used in the proof of the main theorem. \vskip 3pt The motivation for considering the function spaces \(A_S\) comes from Control Theory. In fact, the result discovered by Tolokonnikov plays an important role in stabilization of infinite-dimensional linear systems.