Classes of tuples of commuting contractions satisfying the multivariable von Neumann inequality

We obtain a decomposition for multivariable Schur-class functions on the unit polydisk which, to a certain extent, is analogous to Agler's decomposition for functions from the Schur-Agler class. As a consequence, we show that d-tuples of commuting strict contractions obeying an additional positivity constraint satisfy the d-variable von Neumann inequality for an arbitrary operator-valued bounded analytic function on the polydisk. Also, this decomposition yields a necessary condition for solvability of the finite data Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation problem in the Schur class on the unit polydisk.     

Schur–Agler and Herglotz–Agler classes of functions: Positive-kernel decompositions and transfer-function realizations

We discuss transfer-function realization for multivariable holomorphic functions mapping the unit polydisk or the right polyhalfplane into the operator analogue of either the unit disk or the right halfplane (Schur/Herglotz functions over either the unit polydisk or the right polyhalfplane) which satisfy the appropriate stronger contractive/positive real part condition for the values of these functions on commutative tuples of strict contractions/strictly accretive operators (Schur–Agler/Herglotz–Agler functions over either the unit polydisk or the right polyhalfplane). As originally shown by Agler, the first case (polydisk to disk) can be solved via unitary extensions of a partially defined isometry constructed in a canonical way from a kernel decomposition for the function (the lurking-isometry method). We show how a geometric reformulation of the lurking-isometry method (embedding of a given isotropic subspace of a Kre?n space into a Lagrangian subspace—the lurking-isotropic-subspace method) can be used to handle the second two cases (polydisk to halfplane and polyhalfplane to disk), as well as the last case (polyhalfplane to halfplane) if an additional growth condition at ∞ is imposed. For the general fourth case, we show how a linear-fractional-transformation change of variable can be used to arrive at the appropriate symmetrized nonhomogeneous Bessmertny? long-resolvent realization. We also indicate how this last result recovers the classical integral representation formula for scalar-valued holomorphic functions mapping the right halfplane into itself.     

Schur positivity of skew Schur function differences and applications to ribbons and Schubert classes

Some new relations on skew Schur function differences are established both combinatorially using Schützenberger’s jeu de taquin, and algebraically using Jacobi-Trudi determinants. These relations lead to the conclusion that certain differences of skew Schur functions are Schur positive. Applying these results to a basis of symmetric functions involving ribbon Schur functions confirms the validity of a Schur positivity conjecture due to McNamara. A further application reveals that certain differences of products of Schubert classes are Schubert positive. For Manfred Schocker 1970–2006. S.J. van Willigenburg was supported in part by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.     

Retracts in Polydisk and Analytic Varieties with the <Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis><Superscript>∞</Superscript>-Extension Property

This article mainly concerns retracts in polydisk, analytic varieties with the H ^∞-extension property and the three-point Pick problem on . Arising in the study of Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation on the bidisk, Agler and McCarthy recently discovered a remarkable theorem which characterizes subsets in the bidisk with the polynomial extension property, and in this case, these subsets are retracts. To study H ^∞-extensions of holomorphic functions from subvarieties of polydisk, one naturally is concerned with retracts in polydisk. Under certain mild assumptions, it is shown that subvarieties with H ^∞-extension property are exactly retracts. Furthermore, we apply our argument to determine those retracts whose retractions are unique. In particular, a retract in having at least two different retractions is exactly a balanced disk. As an application, we give a sufficient condition of the uniqueness of the solution for the three-point Pick problem on .      

A Schur transformation for functions in a general class of domains

In this paper we present a framework in which the Schur transformation and the basic interpolation problem for generalized Schur functions, generalized Nevanlinna functions and the like can be studied in a unified way. The basic object is a general class of functions for which a certain kernel has a finite number of negative squares. The results are based on and generalize those in previous papers of the first three authors on the Schur transformation in an indefinite setting.     

A uniqueness result concerning Schur ideals

A subset of the set of all positive semi-definite matrices of a given size which is invariant under Schur (componentwise) multiplication by an arbitrary positive semi-definite matrix is said to be a Schur ideal. A subset of -dimensional complex space is said to be if it arises as the set of possible values arising from restricting contractive elements from some uniform algebra to a finite set in the domain. When the uniform algebra is the disk algebra, the hyperconvex set is said to be a Pick body. Motivated by the classical Pick interpolation theorem, Paulsen has introduced a natural notion of duality between Schur ideals and hyperconvex sets. By using some recently developed results in operator algebras (matricial Schur ideals), we show that each Pick body has a unique affiliated Schur ideal.

     

Operator-Valued Herglotz Kernels and Functions of Positive Real Part on the Ball

We describe several classes of holomorphic functions of positive real part on the unit ball; each is characterized by an operator-valued Herglotz formula. Motivated by results of J. E. McCarthy and M. Putinar, we define a family of weighted Cauchy–Fantappiè pairings on the ball and establish duality relations between certain pairs of classes, and in particular we identify the dual of the positive Schur class. We also establish the existence of self-dual classes with respect to this pairing, and identify some extreme points of the positive Schur class.     

Interpolating Sequences in Harmonically Weighted Dirichlet Spaces

In this article we show that interpolating sequences on certain harmonically weighted Dirichlet spaces can be characterized in terms of a separation condition and a Carleson-measure condition. This is the first example of a space with Nevanlinna–Pick kernel with non-radially symmetric weights in which this characterization remains true.     

Correlation function of Schur process with application to local geometry of a random 3-dimensional Young diagram

The Schur process is a time-dependent analog of the Schur measure on partitions studied by A. Okounkov in Infinite wedge and random partitions, Selecta Math., New Ser. 7 (2001), 57-81. Our first result is that the correlation functions of the Schur process are determinants with a kernel that has a nice contour integral representation in terms of the parameters of the process. This general result is then applied to a particular specialization of the Schur process, namely to random 3-dimensional Young diagrams. The local geometry of a large random 3-dimensional diagram is described in terms of a determinantal point process on a 2-dimensional lattice with the incomplete beta function kernel (which generalizes the discrete sine kernel). A brief discussion of the universality of this answer concludes the paper.

     

Solution of a multiple Nevanlinna–Pick problem for Carathéodory functions via orthogonal rational functions in the matrix case

We consider an interpolation problem of Nevanlinna–Pick type for matrix‐valued Carathéodory functions, where the values of the functions and its derivatives up to certain orders are given at finitely many points of the open unit disk. For the non‐degenerate case, i.e., in the particular situation that a specific block matrix (which is formed by the given data in the problem) is positive Hermitian, the solution set of this problem is described in terms of orthogonal rational matrix‐valued functions. These rational matrix functions play here a similar role as Szegő's orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle in the classical case of the trigonometric moment problem. In particular, we present and use a connection between Szegő and Schur parameters for orthogonal rational matrix‐valued functions which in the primary situation of orthogonal polynomials was found by Geronimus. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Schur coefficients in several variables

In the paper we study weakly continuous Schur-class-valued maps and their associated Schur coefficient families, that we call functional Schur coefficients. A case of special interest is the family of the “slices” through the polytorus of an n-variable function in the unit ball of H^∞(Dn), which is shown to be a weakly continuous map from the polytorus into the Schur class. The continuity properties of its functional Schur coefficients are used to characterize the rational inner functions in the polydisk algebra. As a consequence we obtain extensions in several variables of the Schur-Cohn test on zeroes of polynomials. This provides in particular a necessary and sufficient condition of stability for multi-dimensional AR filters.     

Finite Blaschke product interpolation on the closed unit disc

We show how to construct all finite Blaschke product solutions and the minimal scaled Blaschke product solution to the Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation problem in the open unit disc by solving eigenvalue problems of the interpolation data. Based on a result of Jones and Ruscheweyh we note that there always exists a finite Blaschke product of degree at most n−1 that maps n distinct points in the closed unit disc, of which at least one is on the unit circle, into n arbitrary points in the closed unit disc, provided that the points inside the unit circle form a positive semi-definite Pick matrix of full rank. Finally, we discuss a numerical limiting procedure.     

On the Carathéodory–Fejér Interpolation Problem for Generalized Schur Functions

The solutions of the Carathéodory–Fejér interpolation problem for generalized Schur functions can be parametrized via a linear fractional transformation over the class of classical Schur functions. The linear fractional transformation of some of these functions may have a pole (simple or multiple) in one or more of the interpolation points or not satisfy one or more interpolation conditions, hence not all Schur functions can serve as a parameter. The set of excluded parameters is characterized in terms of the related Pick matrix.Research was supported by the Summer Research Grant from the College of William and MarySubmitted: June 26, 2002 Revised: January 31, 2003     

Test Functions, Schur–Agler Classes and Transfer-Function Realizations: The Matrix-Valued Setting

Given a collection of test functions, one defines the associated Schur–Agler class as the intersection of the contractive multipliers over the collection of all positive kernels for which each test function is a contractive multiplier. We indicate extensions of this framework to the case where the test functions, kernel functions, and Schur–Agler-class functions are allowed to be matrix- or operator-valued. We illustrate the general theory with two examples: (1) the matrix-valued Schur class over a finitely-connected planar domain and (2) the matrix-valued version of the constrained Hardy algebra (bounded analytic functions on the unit disk with derivative at the origin constrained to have zero value). Emphasis is on examples where the matrix-valued version is not obtained as a simple tensoring with ${{\mathbb C}^{N}}$ of the scalar-valued version.     

Power Series Kernels

We introduce a class of analytic positive definite multivariate kernels which includes infinite dot product kernels as sometimes used in machine learning, certain new nonlinearly factorizable kernels, and a kernel which is closely related to the Gaussian. Each such kernel reproduces in a certain “native” Hilbert space of multivariate analytic functions. If functions from this space are interpolated in scattered locations by translates of the kernel, we prove spectral convergence rates of the interpolants and all derivatives. By truncation of the power series of the kernel-based interpolants, we constructively generalize the classical Bernstein theorem concerning polynomial approximation of analytic functions to the multivariate case. An application to machine learning algorithms is presented.      

Representation of holomorphic functions of many variables by Cauchy-Stieltjes-type integrals

We consider functions of many complex variables that are holomorphic in a polydisk or in the upper half-plane. We give necessary and sufficient conditions under which a holomorphic function is a Cauchy-Stieltjes-type integral of a complex charge. We present several applications of this criterion to integral representations of certain classes of holomorphic functions. __________ Translated from Ukrains’kyi Matematychnyi Zhurnal, Vol. 58, No. 4, pp. 522–542, April, 2006.     

Cell transfer and monomial positivity

We give combinatorial proofs that certain families of differences of products of Schur functions are monomial-positive. We show in addition that such monomial-positivity is to be expected of a large class of generating functions with combinatorial definitions similar to Schur functions. These generating functions are defined on posets with labelled Hasse diagrams and include for example generating functions of Stanley's (P,ω)-partitions. T.L. was supported in part by NSF DMS-0600677.     

Approximation of kernel matrices by circulant matrices and its application in kernel selection methods

This paper focuses on developing fast numerical algorithms for selection of a kernel optimal for a given training data set. The optimal kernel is obtained by minimizing a cost functional over a prescribed set of kernels. The cost functional is defined in terms of a positive semi-definite matrix determined completely by a given kernel and the given sampled input data. Fast computational algorithms are developed by approximating the positive semi-definite matrix by a related circulant matrix so that the fast Fourier transform can apply to achieve a linear or quasi-linear computational complexity for finding the optimal kernel. We establish convergence of the approximation method. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the approximation accuracy and computational efficiency of the proposed methods.