Essentially normal Hilbert modules and \(K\)-homology (Q2476183)

Let \( T= (T_1,\dots, T_d)\) be a \(d\)-tuple of mutually commuting operators acting on a Hilbert space \(H\). Then there is a natural way to make \(H\) into a \( {\mathbb C}[z_1, \dots, z_d]\)-module as follows: \(f \cdot \xi = f(T_1, \dots, T_d) \xi\), \(f \in {\mathbb C}[z_1, \dots, z_d]\), \(\xi \in H\). The Hilbert module \(H\) is called essentially normal if the cross-commutators \(T_k^*T_j-T_jT_k^*\) are all compact [\textit{W.\,B.\thinspace Arveson}, J.~Oper.\ Theory 54, No.\,1, 101--117 (2005; Zbl 1107.47006)], and \(H\) is \(p\)-essentially normal if these commutators are in \(\mathcal L ^P\), the Schatten-von Neumann class of operators on \(H\), for \(1 \leq p < \infty\). Let \(H_d^2\) be the Hilbert space of analytic functions in the unit ball of \({\mathbb C}^d\) having the reproducing kernel \(K(z,w)= {1\over 1-\langle z,w\rangle}\), where \( \langle z,w\rangle =\sum_{i=1}^d z_i \overline {w_i}\). Arveson conjectured that graded submodules of \(H_d^2 \otimes {\mathbb C}^r\) are \(p\)-essentially normal for \(1 \leq r < \infty\) and \(p >d\). In the paper under review, the authors prove the following propositions. (1) Each graded principal submodule of \(H_d^2\) is \(p\)-essentially normal for \(p> d\). (2) If \(d=2\) and \(M\) is a graded submodule of \(H_d^2 \otimes {\mathbb C}^r\), then \(M\) is \(p\)-essentially normal for \(p >2\). (3) If \(d=3\), each graded submodule of \(H_d^2\) is \(p\)-essentially normal for \(p>3\). It should be pointed out that (2) is a generalization of a result of \textit{K.-Y.\thinspace Guo} [J.~Reine Angew.\ Math.\ 573, 181--209 (2004; Zbl 1061.46024)]. The authors then turn to quotient submodules. \textit{R.\,Douglas} [in:\ Analysis, Geometry and Topology of Elliptic Operators, World Scientific, 369--382 (2006; Zbl 1140.47060)] raised a refinement for Arveson's conjecture concerning quotient submodules. The authors show that this conjecture is true in dimensions \(d=2,3\). The paper is concluded with a study of \(K\)-homology invariants arising from graded quotients modules \((d=2,3)\). In particular, it is shown that \(K\)-homology invariants determined by graded quotients are nontrivial. [This paper has sequels: for Part~II, see the following review Zbl 1148.47006; Part~III has been reviewed in Zbl 1121.47002.]