A new class of inner functions uniformly approximable by interpolating Blaschke products (Q537666)

Let \(\mathcal{H}\) be the class of inner functions \(\Theta\) for which there exist \(\eta>0\) and \(\varepsilon\in]0,1[\) such that the set \(\{z\in\mathbb D:\,|\Theta(z)|<\eta\}\) is contained in the not necessarily disjoint union \(\bigcup_n D_\varrho(z_n,\varepsilon)\) of pseudohyperbolic disks of fixed radius \(\varepsilon\) around the zero sequence \((z_n)\) of \(\Theta\). The author gives several descriptions of this class \(\mathcal{H}\) in terms of its behaviour on the maximal ideal space of \(H^{\infty}\). One of the results shows that \(\mathcal{H}\) coincides with the class of inner functions \(\Theta\) whose zero set on the spectrum, \(M(H^{\infty})\), of \(H^{\infty}\) stays hyperbolically close to the closure in \(M(H^{\infty})\) of the zero set \(Z_{\mathbb D}(\Theta)\) of \(\Theta\) in \(\mathbb D\). From that it will be deduced that \(\Theta\in\mathcal H\) if and only if each trivial zero of \(\Theta\) in \(M(H^{\infty})\) belongs to \(\overline{Z_{\mathbb D}(\Theta)}\). The main result of this paper shows that each \(\Theta\in\mathcal H\) is uniformly approximable by interpolating Blaschke products. Further, some explicit examples are given that show that \(\mathcal H\) strictly contains the class of inner functions satisfying the so-called WEP property. Finally, the author presents some additional properties of the class \(\mathcal H\) in connection with quotient algebras and universal Blaschke products. In particular, a question of \textit{P. Gorkin}, the author and \textit{N. Nikolski} appearing in [J. Funct. Anal. 255, No. 4, 854--876 (2008; Zbl 1161.46028)] and concerning critical constants (in the sense of Nikolski) of these algebras is answered.