On the uncertainty principle for orthonormal families of \(L^2(\mathbb R)\) (Q515318)

Summary: A result of uncertainty principle type due to H. S. Shapiro states that, given an infinite orthonormal family of \(L^2(\mathbb{R})\), there is no square integrable function uniformly dominating all functions and also all their Fourier transforms. However, Shapiro conjectured the existence of an orthonormal basis of \(L^2(\mathbb{R})\) such that all elements and all their Fourier transforms are uniformly dominated by a constant multiple of \(r(x):=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1+|x|}}\). In this work, we provide a proof of Shapiro's uncertainty principle and we confirm his conjecture in a strong form, where one of the two upper bounds is replaced by a function with arbitrarily fast decay. We also show that, for a certain, natural type of basis, the initial bound is optimal. Finally, we construct an orthonormal family of \(L^2(\mathbb{R})\) all of whose elements and all their Fourier transforms are dominated at infinity by a function \(s(x)\) with decay strictly faster than \(r(x)\), but which is not square-integrable in a neighbourhood of the origin.