Harmonic analysis in hypercomplex systems. Transl. from the Russian by P. Malyshev. Compl. rev. and updated transl (Q4387112)

There exist several generalizations of group algebras. We here mention Hecke algebras (which are adapted to discrete double coset spaces), algebras of generalized translation operators due to J. Delsarte and B. M. Levitan, hypergroups in the sense of C. F. Dunkl, R. I. Jewett and R. Spector, as well as hypercomplex systems in the sense of Yu. M. Berezansky, S. Krein, and others. The book under review is a revised and updated English version of the Russian edition from 1992 (Zbl 0854.43009). It is devoted mainly to hypercomplex systems with continuous basis and is organized as follows: Chapter 1 contains some general theory of hypercomplex systems, which includes major parts on harmonic analysis. Chapter 2 is mainly devoted to the discussion of commutative examples: centers of group algebras, Gelfand pairs, discrete and continuous examples related to orthogonal polynomials, and examples on \([0,\infty[\) associated with Sturm-Liouville operators. We here in particular mention the extensive discussion of examples related with compact Lie groups and in particular \(SU(n)\). In Chapter 3 the authors present some elements of a Lie theory for generalized translation operators. In particular the discussion of generalizations of the canonical commutation relations there may be interesting for a broader audience. The book concludes with a detailed comparison of hypercomplex systems and hypergroups. The list of references is fairly complete up to 1992. The book should be seen as a companion to the recent monograph of \textit{W. R. Bloom} and \textit{H. Heyer} [Harmonic analysis of probability measures on hypergroups. De Gruyter Studies in Math. 20 (Berlin 1995; Zbl 0828.43005)]. This monograph exclusively deals with hypergroups and contains a very extensive list of examples of commutative hypergroups (which also form hypercomplex systems). Moreover, major parts there are devoted to probability theory (which cannot be carried over to hypercomplex systems). On the other hand, no Lie theory is discussed there.