Regular Mittag--Leffler kernels and Volterra operators (Q2486722)

The author defines an abstract Mittag--Leffler kernel with values on a Hilbert space \(\mathfrak{H}\) as an entire function \(\mathcal{E}_\rho\), \(\rho\geq 1\), such that for each \(z\in \mathbb{C}\) there exists an element \(h(z)\in \mathfrak{H}\) such that \[ \left(\frac{\mathcal{E}_\rho(\lambda)-\mathcal{E}_\rho(0)}{\lambda}, \mathcal{E}_\rho(z)\right)= (\mathcal{E}_\rho(\lambda), h(z)) \] for all \(\lambda\in \mathbb{C}\), and for arbitrary finite tuples \(\{c_k\}_1^n\) and \(\{\lambda_k\}_1^n, \;n\geq 1\), of complex numbers, the ranges of the forms \(\sum_{k=1}^nc_k \mathcal{E}_\rho(\lambda_k)\) and \(\sum_{k=1}^nc_k \frac{\mathcal{E}_\rho(\lambda)-\mathcal{E}_\rho(0)}{\lambda}\) lie in the sector \(0\leq \arg z \leq \frac{\pi}{\rho}\). The Mittag--Leffler kernel is defined also for \(\rho\in (0,1)\) as an arbitrary \(\mathfrak{H}\)-valued function of the form \[ \mathcal{E}_\rho(z)=\left(I-zB^\frac{1}{\rho}\right)^{-1}g, \] where \(g\in \mathfrak{H}\) and \(B\) is a dissipative operator satisfying certain conditions, with \(B^\frac{1}{\rho}\) standing for the \(\frac{\pi}{\rho}\)-sectorial fractional power of \(B\). The reason for giving the name of Mittag-Leffler lies in the fact that \(\mathcal{E}_\rho(z)\) may be expressed in terms of a the Mittag-Leffler function \(\mathcal{E}_\rho(z,\mu)\) in a certain example. The author gives a complete characterization of the kernels which generate an integral transform of Fourier-Dzhrbashyan type and of those whose range contains an unconditional basis of \(\mathfrak{H}.\) These characterizations provide an answer to the old question of M.\ G.\ Krein, namely: to what extent is the role of fractional integration operators in Dzhrbashyan's constructions essential, and can some other Volterra operators generate integral transforms with similar properties? The author also considers an application to the problem of similarity of a rank one perturbation of a fractional power of a Volterra operator to a normal operator.