Fractional iteration in the disk algebra: prime ends and composition operators (Q2493579)

A (one-parameter) semigroup of the space \(H(\mathbb D)\) of all analytic functions in the unit disk \(\mathbb D\) is any family \(\Phi=\{\varphi_t:\;t\geq0\}\) of analytic functions \(\varphi\in H(\mathbb D)\) with \(\varphi(\mathbb D)\subset{\mathbb D}\) satisfying that \(\varphi_0\) is the identity in \(D\), \(\varphi_{t+s}=\varphi_t\circ\varphi_s\) for all \(t,s \geq 0\), and for every \(z\in{\mathbb D}\), \(\lim_{t\to0}\varphi_t(z)=z\). Semigroups of analytic functions can be related with the theory of composition operators. Given a Banach space \(X\subset H(\mathbb D)\) and a semigroup of analytic functions \(\Phi=(\varphi_t)\), when does \(\Phi\) generate a semigroup of operators in \(X\)? That is, when the family \((T_t)\) of composition operators \[ f\in X\mapsto T_t(f):=f\circ\varphi_t\in H(\mathbb D)\qquad (t\geq0) \] is a strongly continuous semigroup of bounded operators in \(X\). A fairly complete review of known results about this problem can be found in a paper by \textit{A. Siskakis} [Contemp. Math. 213, 229--252 (1998; Zbl 0904.47030)]. In the paper under review, the authors deal with this problem in the special case when \(X\) is the disk algebra \({\mathcal A}(\mathbb D)\). In particular, they characterize the semigroups of analytic functions which generate semigroups of operators in \({\mathcal A}(\mathbb D)\) in terms of analytical aspects of \((\varphi_t)\) (Theorem 1.1) as well as geometrical properties (Theorem 1.2). In addition, they present an example of a semigroup in \(H(\mathbb D)\), which generates a semigroup in every Hardy space \(H^p(\mathbb D)\) (\(1\leq p<\infty\)) but not in the disk algebra.