The Weiss conjecture on admissibility of observation operators for contraction semigroups (Q5943218)

Let \(T(t)\) be a \(C_0\)-semigroup on a separable Hilbert space \(H\) with infinitesimal generator \(A\), and let \(C\) be an element of \({\mathcal L}({\mathcal D}(A),{\mathbb C})\). Then \(C\) is called an infinite-time admissible observation operator for \(T(t)\) if there is some \(K>0\) such that \(\|CT(\cdot)x\|_{L^2(0,\infty)}\leq K\|x\|\) for any \(x\in {\mathcal D}(A)\). \textit{G. Weiss} conjectured [Proc. Int. Conf., Vorau/Austria 1990, ISNM 100, 367-378 (1991; Zbl 0763.93041)] that the following statements are equivalent: (1) There exists a constant \(M>0\) such that \(\|C(sI-A)^{-1}\|\leq M/\sqrt{\operatorname {Re}s}\), \(s\in {\mathbb C}_+\); (2) \(C\) is infinite-time admissible. Weiss proved that (2) implies (1), and also that (1) and (2) are equivalent for normal semigroups and for exponentially stable right-invertible semigroups. \textit{J. R. Partington} and \textit{G. Weiss} proved [Math. Control Signals Syst. 13, 179-192 (2000; Zbl 0966.93033)] the Weiss conjecture also for the right-shift semigroup on \(L^2(0,\infty)\). In the paper under review, the Weiss conjecture is proved for contraction semigroups. It is shown that the result contains as particular cases Fefferman's duality theorem, Bonsall's theorem on the boundedness of Hankel operators, and the Carleson measure theorem. Let us note also the claim of H.~Zwart (see \url{http://perso.uclouvain.be/vincent.blondel/books/openprobs/list.html}) that in general the Weiss conjecture is false, as is shown by \textit{B. Jacob} and \textit{H. Zwart} in ``Disproof of two conjectures of George Weiss'' [Memorandum No. 1546, Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, University of Twente, the Netherlands].