Semigroups of measures in non-commutative harmonic analysis (Q810808)

Let \({\mathcal K}\) be a compact group acting continuously on a locally compact group \({\mathcal G}\) such that the convolution algebra of all bounded measures on \({\mathcal G}\) invariant under \({\mathcal K}\) is commutative, i.e. that the space \({\mathcal G}^{{\mathcal K}}\) of all \({\mathcal K}\)-orbits in \({\mathcal G}\) is a commutative hypergroup. This survey article is devoted to the following problems: Describe all \({\mathcal K}\)-invariant convolution semigroups on \({\mathcal G}\), i.e., all convolution semigroups on the hypergroup \({\mathcal G}^{{\mathcal K}}\), in terms of negative definite functions on the dual space of this hypergroup; cf. \textit{C. Berg} [Ann. Inst. Fourier 23, 135-156 (1973; Zbl 0243.31013)] for symmetric spaces and the recent papers of \textit{W. Bloom} and \textit{P. Ressel} [Can. J. Math. 43, 242-254 (1991; Zbl 0724.43005)] and \textit{M. Voit} [Analysis 9, 371-387 (1989; Zbl 0697.43006)] for hypergroups. The second problem is to find suitable subsets of \({\mathcal G}\) such that each \({\mathcal K}\)-invariant positive definite function on this subset can be extended to the complete group \({\mathcal G}\). Both problems are studied for \({\mathcal G}\) as the Heisenberg group and \({\mathcal K}\) as the torus. In this case, the dual space of \({\mathcal G}^{{\mathcal K}}\) consists of two families: The first set consists of Bessel functions and forms a dual hypergroup structure while the second set of characters is constructed via Laguerre polynomials. This description leads to a solution of the extension problem for certain cylindrical subsets of \({\mathcal G}\) as well as to a description of \({\mathcal K}\)-invariant convolution semigroups.