Extreme points of the closed convex hull of composition operators (Q936569)

The paper under review continues the study of the topological structure of the space \(\mathcal{C}(H^\infty)\) of composition operators on \(H^\infty\) with the uniform norm [cf.\ \textit{B.\,MacCluer, S.\,Ohno} and \textit{R.\,Zhao}, Integral Equations Oper.\ Theory 40, No.\,~4, 481--494 (2001; Zbl 1062.47511); \textit{T.\,Hosokowa, K.\,Izuchi} and \textit{D.\,Zheng}, Proc.\ Am.\ Math.\ Soc.\ 130, No.\,6, 1765--1773 (2002; Zbl 1008.47031); \textit{P.\,Gorkin, R.\,Mortini} and \textit{D.\,Suárez}, Contemp.\ Math.\ 328, 177--188 (2003; Zbl 1060.47031); \textit{T.\,Hosokawa} and \textit{K.\,Izuchi}, J.~Math.\ Soc.\ Japan 57, No.\,3, 669--690 (2005; Zbl 1100.47022)]. Let \(U\) be the unit ball of \(\mathcal{L}_+(H^\infty),\) the closure of the positive linear span of \(\mathcal{C}(H^\infty)\). For a given composition operator \(C_\varphi\) to be an extreme point of \(U\), it is necessary that \(\varphi\) be an extreme point of the unit ball of \(H^\infty\). Conversely, exposed points of the unit ball of \(H^\infty\) are extreme points of \(U\). Of course, no compact composition operator can be an extreme point of \(U\). Related results about the space \(\mathcal{C}(A)\) of composition operators on the disc algebra \(A\) are obtained as well, for instance, the description of the connected components of \(\mathcal{C}(A)\) as the open balls of radius \(2\).