Numerical ranges of weighted composition operators (Q5918248)

Numerical ranges of weighted composition operators \(C_{\psi,\varphi}(f)(z)=\psi(z)f(\varphi(z))\) on the Hardy-Hilbert space \(H^2\) of the unit disc are studied. The following are the main results. A class of convexoid operators with rotational composition maps, i.e., \(\varphi(z)=e^{i\theta}z\), is identified. For an open convex set \(V\) with \(n\)-fold symmetry about the origin \((n>1)\), it is shown that there exists a weighted composition operator \(C_{\psi,\varphi}\) with \(\varphi(z)=e^{2\pi i/n}z\) such that the numerical range of \(C_{\psi,\varphi}\) is \(V\). Moreover, it is proved that the numerical range of \(C_{\psi,\varphi}\) contains such a convex \(n\)-fold symmetric set whenever \(\varphi(z)=e^{2\pi i/n}z\) and \(\psi\) is bounded. Isometric weighted composition operators are studied and the numerical ranges of unitary weighted composition operators are computed. In the end, the question of when zero is in the interior of the numerical range of \(C_{\psi,\varphi}\) is considered. The answer to this question is provided for different weighted composition operators and in some cases the radius of a disc centered at the origin that lies in the numerical range is obtained.