Topological structures of the sets of composition operators on the Bloch spaces (Q2581493)

Given a Banach space \(X\) of analytic functions on the unit disk \(D\) of the complex plane, let \({\mathcal C}(X)\) be the set of all composition operators (induced by analytic self-maps of \(D\)) with the operator norm topology. Topological structures, especially path components, of the sets \({\mathcal C}(X)\) were barely known so far. In the case of the Hardy space \(H^2\), the problem of characterizing path components of \({\mathcal C}(H^2)\) was first posed by \textit{J. H. Shapiro} and \textit{C. Sundberg} [Pac. J.\ Math.\ 145, 117--152 (1990; Zbl 0732.30027)] and still remains open. More recently, studies on the Bloch space \(\mathcal B\) or on the space \(H^\infty\) of bounded analytic functions have been done by several authors. In particular, \textit{C.~Toews} [``Topological structures on sets of composition operators'' (Thesis, Univ.\ of Virginia) (2002); see also Integral Equations Oper.\ Theory 48, No.~2, 265--280 (2004; Zbl 1054.47021)] proved that compact composition operators on \(\mathcal B\) form a path connected set in \(\mathcal C(\mathcal B)\). The main result of this paper is to show the complete analogue of Toews' result for the little Bloch space \({\mathcal B}_0\). The method of proof is different. As a consequence, the authors show that there exist two composition operators which are isolated in \({\mathcal C}(H^\infty)\) but lie in the same path component of \({\mathcal C}({\mathcal B}_0)\). Also, the authors prove that if the difference of two composition operators is compact on \({\mathcal B}_0\), then they belong to the same path component of \({\mathcal C}({\mathcal B}_0)\). Finally, the authors provide a sufficient condition for an element in \(\mathcal C(B)\) to be isolated.