The pluriharmonic Toeplitz operators on the polydisk (Q5927725)

Let \(D^n\) be the unit polydisc in \(\mathbf C^n\), \(L^2_a(D^n)\) the Bergman space of all holomorphic functions in \(L^2(D^n)\), and for \(u\in L^\infty (D^n)\) let \(T_u: f\mapsto P(uf)\) and \(H_u:f\mapsto (I-P)(uf)\) be the Toeplitz and the Hankel operator with symbol~\(u\), respectively. Here \(P\) is the orthogonal projection of \(L^2(D^n)\) onto \(L^2_a(D^n)\). The authors prove the following theorem, which is in marked contrast with the situation for \(n=1\) [cf. \textit{R. Younis} and \textit{D. Zheng}, Integral Equations Oper. Theory 37, 106-123 (2000; Zbl 0964.47016)]: if \(f\) and \(g\) are two bounded pluriharmonic functions on~\(D^n\), \(n>1\), then \(T_f T_g-T_{fg}\) is compact if and only if \(T_f T_g-T_{fg}=0\), if and only if \(H^*_{\overline f}H_g\) is compact, if and only if for each \(j=1,2,\dots,n\), either \(\overline f\) or \(g\) is analytic in~\(z_j\). Some partial results on the compactness of the commutator \(T_f T_g-T_g T_f\) are also given. The main ingredient in the proof is the following result connecting the Toeplitz operators on \(D^n\) with those on the disc~\(D\). For any bounded pluriharmonic functions \(f,g\) on~\(D^n\), \(n>1\), points \(\mu\in T^{n-1}\) (\(T:=\partial D\)), \(z'\in D^{n-1}\) and \(z_1\in D\), and integers \(m_2,\dots,m_n\), \[ \lim_{z'\to\mu'} \int_S \langle T_f T_g k_{(z_1,z'e^{i\theta})}, k_{(z_1,z' e^{i\theta})} \rangle e^{i\mathbf m\mathbf\theta} d\mathbf\theta = \int_S \langle T_{f(\cdot \mu' e^{i\theta})} T_{g(\cdot\mu' e^{i\theta})} k_{z_1},k_{z_1}\rangle e^{i\mathbf m\mathbf\theta} d\mathbf\theta, \] where \(T_{f(\cdot \mu' e^{i\theta})}\) and \(T_{g(\cdot\mu' e^{i\theta})}\) are Toeplitz operators on \(L^2_a(D)\), \(\theta=(\theta_2,\dots,\theta_n)\in [0,2\pi]^{n-1}=:S\), \(e^{i\mathbf m\mathbf\theta}=e^{im_2\theta_2}\dots e^{im_n \theta_n}\), \(z'e^{i\theta}=(z_2 e^{i\theta_2},\dots,z_n e^{i\theta_n})\), \(k_{z_1}(w_1)=(1-|z_1|^2)/(1-\overline z_1 w_1)^2\) (the normalized reproducing kernel of \(L^2_a(D)\)) and \(k_z(w)=\prod_{j=1}^n k_{z_j}(w_j)\).