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Littlewood subordination theorem

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In mathematics, the Littlewood subordination theorem, proved by J. E. Littlewood in 1925, is a theorem in operator theory and complex analysis. It states that any holomorphic univalent self-mapping of the unit disk in the complex numbers that fixes 0 induces a contractive composition operator on various function spaces of holomorphic functions on the disk. These spaces include the Hardy spaces, the Bergman spaces and Dirichlet space.

Contents

Subordination theorem

Let h be a holomorphic univalent mapping of the unit disk D into itself such that h(0) = 0. Then the composition operator Ch defined on holomorphic functions f on D by

C h ( f ) = f h

defines a linear operator with operator norm less than 1 on the Hardy spaces H p ( D ) , the Bergman spaces A p ( D ) . (1 ≤ p < ∞) and the Dirichlet space D ( D ) .

The norms on these spaces are defined by:

f H p p = sup r 1 2 π 0 2 π | f ( r e i θ ) | p d θ f A p p = 1 π D | f ( z ) | p d x d y f D 2 = 1 π D | f ( z ) | 2 d x d y = 1 4 π D | x f | 2 + | y f | 2 d x d y

Littlewood's inequalities

Let f be a holomorphic function on the unit disk D and let h be a holomorphic univalent mapping of D into itself with h(0) = 0. Then if 0 < r < 1 and 1 ≤ p < ∞

0 2 π | f ( h ( r e i θ ) ) | p d θ 0 2 π | f ( r e i θ ) | p d θ .

This inequality also holds for 0 < p < 1, although in this case there is no operator interpretation.

Case p = 2

To prove the result for H2 it suffices to show that for f a polynomial

C h f 2 f 2 ,

Let U be the unilateral shift defined by

U f ( z ) = z f ( z ) .

This has adjoint U* given by

U f ( z ) = f ( z ) f ( 0 ) z .

Since f(0) = a0, this gives

f = a 0 + z U f

and hence

C h f = a 0 + h C h U f .

Thus

C h f 2 = | a 0 | 2 + h C h U f 2 | a 0 2 | + C h U f 2 .

Since U*f has degree less than f, it follows by induction that

C h U f 2 U f 2 = f 2 | a 0 | 2 ,

and hence

C h f 2 f 2 .

The same method of proof works for A2 and D .

General Hardy spaces

If f is in Hardy space Hp, then it has a factorization

f ( z ) = f i ( z ) f o ( z )

with fi an inner function and fo an outer function.

Then

C h f H p ( C h f i ) ( C h f o ) H p C h f o H p C h f o p / 2 H 2 2 / p f H p .

Inequalities

Taking 0 < r < 1, Littlewood's inequalities follow by applying the Hardy space inequalities to the function

f r ( z ) = f ( r z ) .

The inequalities can also be deduced, following Riesz (1925), using subharmonic functions. The inequaties in turn immediately imply the subordination theorem for general Bergman spaces.

References

Littlewood subordination theorem Wikipedia