Numerical ranges of \(C_{0}(N)\) contractions (Q543472)

Let \(H\) be a separable complex Hilbert space and \(L(H)\) be the Banach algebra of all bounded linear operators on \(H\). The numerical range of \(A\in L(H)\) is the set \(W(A)=\{ \langle Ax,x\rangle: \| x\| =1\}\). In general, the numerical range is difficult to compute. However, for a normal operator, in particular for a unitary operator, the closure of the numerical range is equal to the convex hull of the spectrum. Let \(H'\) be a Hilbert space which contains \(H\) as a closed subspace. Recall that an operator \(B\in L(H')\) is a dilation of \(A\in L(H)\) if \(A=V^* BV\), where \(V:H \to H'\) is the inclusion map. If \(\dim(H'\ominus H)=k\), then \(B\) is called a \(k\)-dilation of \(A\). It is well known that each contraction \(A\in L(H)\) has a dilation \(U\in L(H\oplus H)\) which is a unitary operator. \textit{M.-D. Choi} and \textit{C.-K. Li} [J. Oper. Theory 46, No. 2, 435--447 (2001; Zbl 0996.47003)] have proved that \(\overline{W(A)}=\bigcap \{ \overline{W(U)}: U\in L(H\oplus H)~\text{is a unitary dilation of}~A\}\), for any contraction \(A\in L(H)\). There are many similar results in the literature; some of them are related to the theory of \(C_0\) contractions. In this paper, these results are extended to operator-valued functions. Let us mention one of the results. If \(A\in L(H)\) is a contraction of class \(C_0(N)\) (for the definition see the paper) and \({\mathcal U}\) is the set of all unitary \(N\)-dilations of \(A\) to \(H\oplus {\mathbb C}^N\), then \(\overline{W(A)}=\cap\{ \overline{W(U)}: U\in {\mathcal U}\}\).