On Two Variable Jordan Block (II)

On the Hardy space over the bidisk H²(D²), the Toeplitz operators and are unilateral shifts of infinite multiplicity. A closed subspace M is called a submodule if it is invariant for both and . The two variable Jordan block (S₁, S₂) is the compression of the pair to the quotient H²(D²) ⊖M. This paper defines and studies its defect operators. A number of examples are given, and the Hilbert-Schmidtness is proved with good generality. Applications include an extension of a Douglas-Foias uniqueness theorem to general domains, and a study of the essential Taylor spectrum of the pair (S₁, S₂). The paper also estabishes a clean numerical estimate for the commutator [S₁*, S₂] by some spectral data of S₁ or S₂. The newly-discovered core operator plays a key role in this study.