Zero or compact products of several Hankel operators. (Q698271)

The author gives a necessary and sufficient condition for the product \[ H^*_{g_1} H_{g_2} \dots H^*_{g_{2n-1}} H_{g_{2n}}, \] with \(g_1,\dots,g_{2n} \in L^\infty(\mathbb{T})\), of an even number of Hankel operators on the space \(L^2(\mathbb{T})\) on the unit circle \(\mathbb{T}\) to be zero; and also a similar criterion for it to be compact. Namely, let \(a_j\in P_+ L^\infty\), \(j=1, \dots, 2n\), and let \[ A_1=a_1,\;A_2=a_1P_-\overline a_2,\;A_3=a_1P_- \overline a_2P_+a_3, \dots, \;A_{2n-1}=a_1P_-\overline a_2\dots P_-\overline a_{2n-2}P_+ a_{2n-1}, \] and similarly \[ B_{2n-1}=P_-\overline a_{2n},\;B_{2n-1}=P_-\overline a_{2n}P_+a_{2n-1}, \dots,\;B_{2n-1}= P_-\overline a_{2n}P_+a_{2n-1}\dots P_+a_3P_-\overline a_2. \] Finally, let \(A^z_j\) and \(B^z_j\) be defined analogously but with \(a_k\), \(k=1,\dots,2n\), replaced by \(a_k\circ\phi -a_k(z)\), where \(\phi_z(w)=(z-w)/(1-\overline z w)\) is the Möbius self-map of the disc interchanging \(0\) and~\(z\). Then \(H^*_{\overline a_1} H_{\overline a_2} \dots H^*_{\overline a_{2n-1}} H_{\overline a_{2n}}=0\) if and only if some linear combinations of a certain special form, \(\hat A_j\) and \(\hat B_j\) of the \(A_j\) and the \(B_j\), respectively, have the property that for each~\(j\), either \(\overline{\hat A_j}\in H^2\) or \(\hat B_j\in H^2\); and \(H^*_{\overline a_1} H_{\overline a_2} \dots H^*_{\overline a_{2n-1}} H_{\overline a_{2n}}\) is compact if and only if \(\lim_{| z| \to1} \| \sum_{j=1}^{2n-1} (-1)^j P_-\overline{A^z_j}\otimes P_- B^z_j\| =0\). The result applies also to products \(H^*_{g_1} H_{g_2}\dots H^*_{g_{2n-1}}\) of an odd number of Hankel operators, since the latter product is compact (or~zero) if and only if the product \(H^*_{g_1} H_{g_2} \dots H^*_{g_{2n-1}} H_{g_{2n-1}}\)~is. These results generalize the classical theorem of Axler, Chang, Sarason and Volberg for the product of two Hankel operators, as~well as the recent results of \textit{D. X. Xia} and \textit{D.-Ch. Zheng} [Integral.~Equations.~Oper.~Theory 29, 339--363 (1997; Zbl 0904.47018)] for the product of three Hankel operators.