On approximation numbers of composition operators (Q765818)

Let \(\mathfrak B_\alpha\), \(\alpha>-1\), be the Bergman space of analytic functions on the open unit disk \(\mathbb D\) in the complex plane. Given a non-constant analytic self-map \(\varphi\) (Schur function) of \(\mathbb D\), the composition operator \(C_\varphi :\mathfrak B_\alpha\to\mathfrak B_\alpha\) is defined by \[ C_\varphi(f):= f\circ \varphi\,. \] The operator \(C_\varphi\) is known to be bounded, and the aim of the present paper is to investigate its approximation properties. More precisely, the authors prove lower and upper estimates for its approximation numbers \[ a_n(C_\varphi):=\inf\{\| C_\varphi -R\| : \mathrm{rank}(R)<n\} \] in dependence of properties of \(\varphi\). A first result says that these approximation numbers cannot tend to zero arbitrarily fast, namely, it is shown that for any Schur function there are \(c>0\) and \(r\in (0,1)\) such that \[ a_n(C_\varphi)\geq c\,r^n\,,\quad n=1,2,\ldots\,. \] In contrast to that result, the approximation numbers may tend to zero arbitrarily slow: Given any sequence \(\varepsilon_n\) of positive numbers tending monotonely to zero, there is a Schur function \(\varphi\) such that \(C_\varphi\) is compact and \[ \liminf_{n\to\infty}\frac{a_n(C_\varphi)}{\varepsilon_n}>0\,. \] In particular, there are Schur functions \(\varphi\) such that the compact operator \(C_\varphi\) does not belong to any Schatten class of operators on Hilbert spaces. Section 5 of the present paper is devoted to upper estimates of \(a_n(C_\varphi)\) for special \(\varphi\) and, finally, in Section 6 an example is treated where precise lower and upper estimates of \(a_n(C_\varphi)\) are available.