Characteristic function for polynomially contractive commuting tuples (Q2497356)

The classical Sz.\,Nagy--Foias theory of the characteristic function of a contractive linear operator acting on a Hilbert space has nowadays an array of multivariable generalizations. One way or another, the difficulties in the several varaibles settings are the same: the lack of a unitary dilation for commuting systems of operators, a much more sophisticated structure of the bounded analytic multipliers on Hilberts spaces with a reproducing kernel (serving as functional models for abstract operators), and an intricate variety of spectral sets and von Neumann type inequalities. Nevertheless, there are quite a few positive results, all converging towards a beautiful new theory with a rich and unexpected phenomenology. For all these aspects, the reader can consult the recent monograph by \textit{J.~Agler} and \textit{J.~McCarthy} [``Pick interpolation and Hilbert function spaces'' (Grad.\ Stud.\ Math.\ 44, AMS, Providence/RI) (2002; Zbl 1010.47001)]. The article under review advocates a class of positive definite kernels and commuting systems of linear operators which are contractive as multipliers on the respective kernels. Under such natural, but rather drastic restrictions, a full analog of the single variable theory of the characteristic function holds. The authors present a lucid and complete account of the properties of these generalized characteristic functions. Their work relies on [\textit{S.~Pott}, J.~Oper.\ Theory 41, No.~2, 365--389 (1999; Zbl 0995.47003)] as well as on recent works of W.~Arveson, J.~Ball, V.~Bolotnikov, G.~Popescu, K.~Guo and a few other authors. The operator theorist will find in this article a lot of inspiration for future work, while the complex analyst may discover here new and powerful techniques for dealing with bounded analytic interpolation in several complex variables.