Composition operators induced by smooth self-maps of the unit ball in \(\mathbb C^{N}\) (Q868810)

Let \(\mathbb B_N\) be the open unit ball in \(\mathbb C^N\) and write \(H(\mathbb B_N)\) for the space of all holomorphic functions on \(\mathbb B_N\). For \(0 < p < \infty\) and \(\alpha > - 1\), the weighted Bergman space \(A_\alpha^p(\mathbb B_N)\) is the space of all \(f\in H(\mathbb B_N)\) for which \(\| f\|_{A_\alpha^p}^p=\int_{\mathbb B_N}| f(z)| ^p\,dV_\alpha(z)<\infty,\) where \(dV_\alpha(z) = (1-| z| ^2)^\alpha \,dV(z)\) and \(dV\) is the normalized volume measure on \(\mathbb B^N\). Let \(\Psi\) be a vector-valued holomorphic function from \(\mathbb B_N\) into itself. Then \(\Psi\) induces the composition operator \(C_\Psi\), defined on \(H(\mathbb B_N)\) by \(C_\Psi f=f\circ\Psi\). When the symbol \(\Psi\) is sufficiently smooth, Wogen has shown a simple necessary and sufficient condition for \(C_\Psi\) to be bounded on the Hardy space \(H^p(\mathbb B_N)\) [\textit{W. R. Wogen}, Oper. Theory Adv. Appl. 35, 249--263 (1988; Zbl 0685.46029)]. For \(\Psi\in C^3(\overline{\mathbb B_N})\) Wogen's condition is a certain relation between the first order normal derivative and the second order tangential derivative of a coordinate function of \(\Psi\) at certain boundary points. In this paper the authors continue the study of composition operators induced by a symbol \(\Psi\) that is smooth on \(\mathbb B_N\), using Wogen's condition as the basis of the study. Combined with Wogen's work in the Hardy space setting (i.e., when \(\alpha=- 1\)), this gives the first main result: Let \(- 1\leqslant \alpha\), \(p > 0\) and \(\Psi : \mathbb B_N\to \mathbb B_N\) be a holomorphic function which is of class \(C^3\) on \(\overline{\mathbb B_N}\). Then \(C_\Psi\) is bounded on \(A_\alpha^p(\mathbb B_N)\) if and only if \(C_\Psi\) is bounded on the Hardy space \(H^2(\mathbb B_N)\). The authors also give examples showing that this fails in general, i.e., without the assumption that \(\Psi\) is smooth. The second main result is that if \(\Psi\) is sufficiently smooth and \(C_\Psi\) maps \(A_\alpha^p\) into a larger (but not too large) Bergman space, then it automatically is bounded on \(A_\alpha^p(\mathbb B_N)\): Let \(\alpha \geqslant-1\), \(p > 0\) and \(\Psi : \mathbb B_N\to\mathbb B_N\) be a holomorphic function on \(\mathbb B_N\) of class \(C^4\) on \(\overline{\mathbb B_N}\). If \(0<\varepsilon< 1/4\) and \(C_\Psi : A_\alpha^p(\mathbb B_N)\to A_{\alpha+\varepsilon}^p(\mathbb B_N)\), then \(C_\Psi : A_\alpha^p(\mathbb B_N)\to A_{\alpha}^p(\mathbb B_N)\). Moreover, this fails for \(\varepsilon = 1/4\). The assumption that \(\Psi\) is smooth is essential. Given any \(\delta >0\), the authors provide an example of \(\varphi:\mathbb B_N\to\mathbb B_N\) for which \(C_\varphi : A_\alpha^p(\mathbb B_N)\nrightarrow A_{\alpha}^p(\mathbb B_N)\), but \(C_\varphi : A_\alpha^p(\mathbb B_N)\to A_{\alpha+\delta}^p(\mathbb B_N)\). This approach involves careful local analysis of \(\Psi\) at a point on the unit sphere to show that when Wogen's condition fails, failure of Carleson measure criteria for \(C_\Psi\) to be bounded implies failure of Carleson measure criteria for a composition operator induced by a polynomial map \(H\) defined from the Taylor expansion of \(\Psi\) to be bounded. Analysis of the action of \(C_H\) on simple monomials can then be used to show that \(C_H : A_\alpha^p(\mathbb B_N)\nrightarrow A_{\alpha+\varepsilon}^p(\mathbb B_N)\) for any \(\varepsilon\in (0, 1/4)\).