Extensions of positive definite functions. Applications and their harmonic analysis (Q299760)

The general goal of the monograph is well described in the publisher's description: ``This monograph deals with the mathematics of extending given partial data-sets obtained from experiments; Experimentalists frequently gather spectral data when the observed data is limited, e.g., by the precision of instruments; or by other limiting external factors. Here the limited information is a restriction, and the extensions take the form of full positive definite function on some prescribed group. It is therefore both an art and a science to produce solid conclusions from restricted or limited data. While the theory is important in many areas of pure and applied mathematics, it is difficult for students and for the novice to the field, to find accessible presentations which cover all relevant points of view, as well as stressing common ideas and interconnections. We have aimed at filling this gap, and we have stressed hands-on-examples.'' The mathematical content of the extension problem of positive definite functions has the following form. Let \(G\) be a locally compact group. Assume \(\Omega\subset G\) be a non-empty, connected and open subset, and let \(\Omega^{-1}\Omega:=\{z=x^{-1}y : x, y\in\Omega\}\). A continuous function \(F: \Omega^{-1}\Omega\to {\mathbb C}\) is said to be positive definite (p.d.) if \(\sum_i\sum_j \bar{c}_i c_j\, F(x_i^{-1} x_j)\geq 0\) for all finite sums with \(c_i\in {\mathbb C}\) and all \(x_i\in\Omega\). There are two natural questions: 1. When is a given partially defined continuous p.d. function extendable to the whole group \(G\)? In other words, when does it have continuous p.d. extensions to \(G\)? 2. When continuous p.d. extensions exist, what is the structure of all continuous p.d. extensions? The theory of p.d. functions is closely connected with the theory of unitary representations. Let \(\mathcal H\) be a Hilbert space, \(U: G\to (\text{unitary operators in }\mathcal H\)