On CNC commuting contractive tuples (Q852448)

The characteristic function for a commuting contractive tuple \(T=(T_1, \dots, T_n)\) of bounded operators on a Hilbert space \(\mathcal H\) is given by the operator-valued contractive function \(({\mathcal D}_T, {\mathcal D}_{T^*}, \theta_T),\) where \({\mathcal D}_T=\overline{D_T{\mathcal H}^n}\) and \({\mathcal D}_{T^*}=\overline{D_{T^*}{\mathcal H}}\) are the defect spaces corresponding to the defect operators \(D_T=(1_{{\mathcal H}^n}-T^*T)^{1/2}\) and \(D_{T^*}=(1_{\mathcal H}-TT^*)^{1/2}\) of \(T,\;{\theta}_T(z)=-T+D_{T^*}(1_{\mathcal H}-ZT^*)^{-1}Z\;(z\in {\mathbb B}_n)\) and \(Z=(z_11_{\mathcal H}, \dots, z_n1_{\mathcal H})\) is the row multiplication induced by \(z=(z_1, \dots, z_n)\) in the open Euclidean unit ball \({\mathbb B}_n\) of \({\mathbb C}_n.\) It is the aim of the paper under review to reveal certain important properties of the characteristic function associated to a completely non-coisometric (CNC) contractive tuple of commuting operators on a Hilbert space. The behavior, with respect to the characteristic function for \(T\), of the characteristic function for the image of \(T\) under any biholomorphic automorphism of \({\mathbb B}_n\) is discussed. A functional model for any given CNC commuting contractive tuple \(T\) on \(\mathcal H\) is constructed: \(T\) is unitarily equivalent to the tuple \({\mathbb T}=({\mathbb T}_1, \dots, {\mathbb T}_n)\) given on \[ {\mathbb H}_T=((H_n^2\otimes {\mathcal D}_{T^*})\oplus \overline{\Delta(H_n^2\otimes{\mathcal D}_T)})\ominus \{(M_{\theta_T}u, \Delta u) : u\in H^2_n\otimes{\mathcal D}_T\} \] by \[ {\mathbb T}_i^*(u, v)=((M_{z_i}^*\otimes 1_{{\mathcal D}_{T^*}})u,\;\Delta^{-1}(M_{z_i}^*\otimes 1_{{\mathcal D}_{T}})\Delta v),\;(u, v)\in {\mathbb H}_T,\;i=1, \dots, n. \] Here, \(H_n^2=\{ f=\sum_{k\in{\mathbb N}^n}a_kz^k : z\in {\mathbb B}_n\), \(a_k\in{\mathbb C} \text{ with } \| f\| ^2=\sum_{k\in{\mathbb N}^n} {{k!}\over{| k| !}}| a_k| ^2<\infty\},\;M_{z_i}\) are the operators of multiplication with the coordinate functions \(z_i\) on \(H_n^2\) and \(\Delta=(1_{{H_n^2}\otimes{\mathcal D}_T}-M_{\theta_T}^*M_{\theta_T})^{1/2}\) is the defect operator of the contractive multiplier \(M_{\theta_T} : H_n^2\otimes{\mathcal D}_T\to H^2_n\otimes{\mathcal D}_{T^*}\) induced by the characteristic function \(\theta_T\) of \(T.\) As an application, the authors prove that the characteristic function is a complete unitary invariant for CNC commuting contractive tuples. The connection between this functional model and the model constructed by \textit{V.\,Müller} and \textit{F.--H.\ Vasilescu} in [Proc.\ Am.\ Math.\ Soc.\ 117, No.\,4, 979--989 (1993; Zbl 0777.47009)] is established. A version of the classical Beurling--Lax--Halmos theorem [see \textit{S.\,McCullough} and \textit{T.\,T.\,Trent}, J.~Funct.\ Anal.\ 178, No.\,1, 226--249 (2000; Zbl 0973.47003)], characterizing all the closed subspaces of \(H_n^2\otimes{\mathcal E}\) (\(\mathcal E\) is a given Hilbert space) which are invariant under the standard shift \((M_{z_1}, \dots, M_{z_n})\otimes 1_{\mathcal E}\), is also proved. The authors finally show that, up to a weak coincidence, each purely contractive inner function is the characteristic function of a uniquely determined pure commuting contractive tuple.