Mixed Bram-Halmos and Agler-Embry conditions (Q517972)

Subnormality for bounded linear operators on a Hilbert space was introduced by \textit{P. R. Halmos} [Summa Brasil. Math. 2, 125--134 (1950; Zbl 0041.23201)]. These operators are the restrictions of normal operators to an invariant subspace. Precisely, a bounded and linear operator \(S\) on a Hilbert space \(H\) is subnormal if it is the restriction of a normal operator \(N\) on a Hilbert space \(K\) including \(H\) as a (closed) subspace, \(S=N|H\), such that \(H\) is \(N\)-invariant. For a treatise on subnormal operators, see [\textit{J. B. Conway}, The theory of subnormal operators. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (1991; Zbl 0743.47012)]. The Bram-Halmos characterization for subnormality reads as follows: a Hilbert-space operators \(T\) is subnormal if and only if it is \(k\)-hyponormal for all \(k\), which is stated by means of the so-called Bram (nonnegative) matrices with operators entries \(T^{*j}T^j\). The Agler-Embry characterization of subnormality under consideration reads as follows: a Hilbert-space contraction \(T\) is subnormal if and only if it is \(n\)-contractive for all \(n\), which is stated in terms of the so-called Agler (nonnegative) weighted sums of operators \(T^{*j}T^j\). The paper under review investigates mixed conditions involving Bram-type matrices of Agler-type weighted sums (or Bram-type matrices of Agler-type differences). Results on subnormal weighted shifts play a central role in the paper.