Positive Hankel operators, positive definite kernels and related topics (Q782534)

A bounded linear operator \(A: \ell^2 \rightarrow \ell^2\) is called a \textit{Hankel} operator if \(AS=S^*A\), where \(S\) is the unilateral right shift operator on \(\ell^2\). A~Hankel operator is said to satisfy the \textit{double positivity condition} if both \(A\) and \(AS\) are positive. It is shown that a bounded linear positive operator on a Hilbert space with a trivial kernel is unitarily equivalent to a Hankel operator that satisfies the double positivity condition if and only if it is non-invertible and has simple spectrum (assuming that this operator admits a cyclic vector). More generally, given an arbitrary bounded linear positive operator \(A\) on a Hilbert space \(H\) with a trivial kernel, the author studies the collection of all linear isometries \(V\) such that \(AV\) is positive. Applications to unbounded positive selfadjoint operators as well as to positive definite kernels are presented. Specifically, positive definite matrix-type square roots of such kernels are studied and kernels that have a unique such root are characterized. The class of all positive definite kernels that have at least one such square root is also investigated.