We introduce a notion called `maximal commuting piece' for tuples of Hilbert space operators. Given a commuting tuple of operators forming a row contraction there are two commonly used dilations in multivariable operator theory. Firstly there is the minimal isometric dilation consisting of isometries with orthogonal ranges and hence it is a noncommuting tuple. There is also a commuting dilation related with a standard commuting tuple on Boson Fock space. We show that this commuting dilation is the maximal commuting piece of the minimal isometric dilation. We use this result to classify all representations of Cuntz algebra O_n coming from dilations of commuting tuples.
Given a row contraction of operators on Hilbert space and a family of projections on the space which stabilize the operators, we show there is a unique minimal joint dilation to a row contraction of partial isometries which satisfy natural relations. For a fixed row contraction the set of all dilations forms a partially ordered set with a largest and smallest element. A key technical device in our analysis is a connection with directed graphs. We use a Wold Decomposition for partial isometries to describe the models for these dilations, and discuss how the basic properties of a dilation depend…
A contractive $n$-tuple $A=(A_1,...,A_n)$ has a minimal joint isometric dilation $S=(S_1,...,S_n)$ where the $S_i$'s are isometries with pairwise orthogonal ranges. This determines a representation of the Cuntz-Toeplitz algebra. When $A$ acts on a finite dimensional space, the \wot-closed nonself-adjoint algebra $\mathfrak{S}$ generated by $S$ is completely described in terms of the properties of $A$. This provides complete unitary invariants for the corresponding representations. In addition, we show that the algebra $\mathfrak{S}$ is always hyper-reflexive. In the last section, we describe s…
We show that whenever a contractive $k$-tuple $T$ on a finite dimensional space $H$ has a unitary dilation, then for any fixed degree $N$ there is a unitary $k$-tuple $U$ on a finite dimensional space so that $q(T) = P_H q(U) |_H$ for all polynomials $q$ of degree at most $N$.
Here we study dilations of q-commuting tuples. In [BBD] the authors gave the correspondence between the two standard dilations of commuting tuples and here these results have been extended to q-commuting tuples. We are able to do this when q-coefficients `$q_{ij}$' are of modulus one. We introduce `maximal q-commuting subspace ' of a $n$-tuple of operators and `standard q-commuting dilation'. Our main result is that the maximal q-commuting subspace of the standard noncommuting dilation of q-commuting tuple is the `standard q-commuting dilation'. We also introduce q-commuting Fock space as the …
The celebrated Sz.-Nagy and Foias and Ando theorems state that a single contraction, or a pair of commuting contractions, acting on a Hilbert space always possesses isometric dilation and subsequently satisfies the von Neumann inequality for polynomials in $\mathbb{C}[z]$ or $\mathbb{C}[z_1, z_2]$, respectively. However, in general, neither the existence of isometric dilation nor the von Neumann inequality holds for $n$-tuples, $n \geq 3$, of commuting contractions. The goal of this paper is to provide a taste of the isometric dilations, the von Neumann inequality and a sharper version of von …
We explore aspects of dilation theory in the finite dimensional case and show that for a commuting $n$-tuple of operators $T=(T_1,...,T_n) $ acting on some finite dimensional Hilbert space $H$ and a compact set $X\subset \mathbb{C}^n$ the following are equivalent: 1. $T$ has a normal $ X$-dilation. 2. For any $m\in \mathbb{N}$ there exists some finite dimensional Hilbert space $K$ containing $H$ and a tuple of commuting normal operators $N=(N_1,...,N_n)$ acting on $K$ such that $$ q(T)=P_Hq(N)|_H$$ for all polynomials $q$ of degree at most $m$ and such that the joint spectrum of $N$ is contain…
Motivated by Ball, Li, Timotin and Trent's Schur-Agler class version of commutant lifting theorem, we introduce a class, denoted by $\mathcal{P}_n(\mathcal{H})$, of $n$-tuples of commuting contractions on a Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$. We always assume that $n \geq 3$. The importance of this class of $n$-tuples stems from the fact that the von Neumann inequality or the existence of isometric dilation does not hold in general for $n$-tuples, $n \geq 3$, of commuting contractions on Hilbert spaces (even in the level of finite dimensional Hilbert spaces). Under some rank-finiteness assumptions, w…
We study dilations of finite tuples of normal, completely positive and completely contractive maps (which we call CP-maps) acting on a von Neumann algebra, and commuting according to a graph G. We show that if G is acyclic, then a tuple commuting according to it has a simultaneous *-endomorphic dilation, which also commutes according to G. Conversely, if G has a cycle, we exhibit an example of a tuple of CP-maps commuting according to G, which does not have an *-endomorphic dilation commuting according to G. To achieve these results we use dilation theory of representations of subproduct syste…
Motivated by a result on weak Markov dilations, we define a notion of characteristic function for ergodic and coisometric row contractions with a one-dimensional invariant subspace for the adjoints. This extends a definition given by G. Popescu. We prove that our characteristic function is a complete unitary invariant for such tuples and show how it can be computed.
Given a contractive tuple of Hilbert space operators satisfying certain $A$-relations we show that there exists a unique minimal dilation to generators of Cuntz-Krieger algebras or its extension by compact operators. This Cuntz-Krieger dilation can be obtained from the classical minimal isometric dilation as a certain maximal $A$-relation piece. We define a maximal piece more generally for a finite set of polynomials in $n$ noncommuting variables. We classify all representations of Cuntz-Krieger algebras ${\mathcal O}_A$ obtained from dilations of commuting tuples satisfying $A$-relations. The…
The objective of this paper is to study wandering subspaces for commuting tuples of bounded operators on Hilbert spaces. It is shown that, for a large class of analytic functional Hilbert spaces $\mathcal{H}_K$ on the unit ball in $\mathbb C^n$, wandering subspaces for restrictions of the multiplication tuple $M_z = (M_{z_1}, \ldots ,M_{z_n})$ can be described in terms of suitable $\mathcal{H}_K$-inner functions. We prove that $\mathcal{H}_K$-inner functions are contractive multipliers and deduce a result on the multiplier norm of quasi-homogenous polynomials as an application. Along the way w…
A commuting tuple of operators $(S_1,\dots, S_{n-1},P)$, defined on a Hilbert space $\mathcal H$, for which the closed symmetrized polydisc \[ Γ_n =\left\{ \left(\sum_{1\leq i\leq n} z_i,\sum_{1\leq i<j\leq n}z_iz_j,\dots, \prod_{i=1}^n z_i \right): \,|z_i|\leq 1, i=1,\dots,n \right \} \] is a spectral set, is called a $Γ_n$-\textit{contraction}. A $Γ_n$-contraction is said to be \textit{pure} or $C._0$ if $P$ is $C._0$, that is, if ${P^*}^n \rightarrow 0$ strongly as $n \rightarrow \infty$. We show that for any $Γ_n$-contraction $(S_1,\dots, S_{n-1},P)$, there is a unique operator tuple $(A_1…
Dilation theory is a paradigm for studying operators by way of exhibiting an operator as a compression of another operator which is in some sense well behaved. For example, every contraction can be dilated to (i.e., is a compression of) a unitary operator, and on this simple fact a penetrating theory of non-normal operators has been developed. In the first part of this survey, I will leisurely review key classical results on dilation theory for a single operator or for several commuting operators, and sample applications of dilation theory in operator theory and in function theory. Then, in th…
Non-commutative versions of Arveson's curvature invariant and Euler characteristic for a commuting $n$-tuple of operators are introduced. The non-commutative curvature invariant is sensitive enough to determine if an $n$-tuple is free. In general both invariants can be thought of as measuring the freeness or curvature of an $n$-tuple. The connection with dilation theory provides motivation and exhibits relationships between the invariants. A new class of examples is used to illustrate the differences encountered in the non-commutative setting and obtain information on the ranges of the invaria…
We obtain intertwining dilation theorems for noncommutative regular domains D_f and noncommutative varieties V_J of n-tuples of operators, which generalize Sarason and Sz.-Nagy--Foias commutant lifting theorem for commuting contractions. We present several applications including a new proof for the commutant lifting theorem for pure elements in the domain D_f (resp. variety V_J) as well as a Schur type representation for the unit ball of the Hardy algebra associated with the variety V_J. We provide Ando type dilations and inequalities for bi-domains D_f \times D_g and bi-varieties V_J \times V…
Higher-rank graph generalisations of the Popescu-Poisson transform are constructed, allowing us to develop a dilation theory for higher rank operator tuples. These dilations are joint dilations of the families of operators satisfying relations encoded by the graph structure which we call $Λ$-contractions or $Λ$-coisometries. Besides commutant lifting results and characterisations of pure states on higher rank graph algebras several applications to the structure theory of non-selfadjoint graph operator algebras are presented generalising recent results in special cases.
The goal of the paper is to study the structure of the k-tuples of doubly $Λ$-commuting row isometries and the $C^*$-algebras they generate from the point of view of noncommutative multivariable operator theory. We obtain Wold decompositions, in this setting, and use them to classify the $k$-tuples of doubly $Λ$-commuting row isometries up to a unitary equivalence. We introduce a universal model in this setting, describe its invariant subspaces, and develop a dilation theory on $Λ$-polyballs.
The notion of a subproduct system, a generalization of that of a product system, is introduced. We show that there is an essentially 1 to 1 correspondence between cp-semigroups and pairs (X,T) where X is a subproduct system and T is an injective subproduct system representation. A similar statement holds for subproduct systems and units of subproduct systems. This correspondence is used as a framework for developing a dilation theory for cp-semigroups. Results we obtain: (i) a *-automorphic dilation to semigroups of *-endomorphisms over quite general semigroups; (ii) necessary and sufficient c…
We establish the existence and uniqueness of finite free resolutions - and their attendant Betti numbers - for graded commuting d-tuples of Hilbert space operators. Our approach is based on the notion of free cover of a (perhaps noncommutative) row contraction. Free covers provide a flexible replacement for minimal dilations that is better suited for higher-dimensional operator theory. For example, every graded d-contraction that is finitely multi-cyclic has a unique free cover of finite type - whose kernel is a Hilbert module inheriting the same properties. This contrasts sharply with what ca…
An n-tuple (n \geq 2), T = (T_1, \ldots, T_n), of commuting bounded linear operators on a Hilbert space \mathcal{H} is doubly commuting if T_i T_j^* = T_j^* T_i for all $1 \leq i < j \leq n$. If in addition, each T_i \in C_{\cdot 0}, then we say that T is a doubly commuting pure tuple. In this paper we prove that a doubly commuting pure tuple $T$ can be dilated to a tuple of shift operators on some suitable vector-valued Hardy space H^2_{\mathcal{D}_{T^*}}(\mathbb{D}^n). As a consequence of the dilation theorem, we prove that there exists a closed subspace \mathcal{S}_T of the form \[\mathcal{…
Noncommutative multivariable versions of weighted shifts arise naturally as `weighted' left creation operators acting on Fock space. We investigate the unital weak operator topology closed algebras they generate. The unweighted case yields noncommutative analytic Toeplitz algebras. The commutant can be described in terms of weighted right creation operators when the weights satisfy a condition specific to the noncommutative setting. We prove these algebras are reflexive when the eigenvalues for the adjoint algebra include an open set in complex $n$-space, and provide a new elementary proof of …
