On a conjecture of Kufner and Persson (Q2478063)

The authors consider the generalized conjugate Hardy operator in the case \(0<q<1\). Let \(\ell (x,t)\) be a non-negative function increasing in the first variable, and \[ (L^\ast_s g)(x)= \int_x^\infty \ell^s(t,x) g(t)\,dt, \quad \text{and} \quad (L_s g)(x)= \int^x_0 \ell^s(x,t) g(t)\,dt \] where \(s\geq 0\), the case \(s=0\) corresponding to the usual Hardy operators. They prove that the conjecture formulated on page 113 of [\textit{A. Kufner} and \textit{L. Persson,} Weighted inequalities of Hardy type, Singapore: World Scientific (2003; Zbl 1065.26018)] about conditions on weights \(u\) and \(v\) for the boundedness \[ \| L^\ast g\| _{L^q(\mathbb{R}^1_+,u)} \leq C \| g\| _{L^p(\mathbb{R}^1_+,v)} , \quad 0<q<1<p<\infty,\tag{1} \] is valid. Namely, the condition \[ \int_0^\infty (L_0^\ast v^{1-p^\prime})^\frac{r}{q^\prime}(t)(L_qu)^\frac{r}{q}(t)v^{1-p^\prime}(t)\,dt<\infty, \quad \tfrac{1}{r}=\tfrac{1}{q}-\tfrac{1}{p} \] guarantees the validity of (1) while (1) yields the condition \[ \int_0^\infty (L_q u)^\frac{p^\prime}{q}(t)v^{1-p^\prime}(t)\,dt<\infty. \]