Canonical Models For Bi-Isometries

Abstract

A canonical model, analogous to the one for contraction operators, is introduced for bi-isometries, two commuting isometries on a Hilbert space. This model involves a contractive analytic operator-valued function on the unit disk. Various pureness conditions are considered as well as bi-isometries for which both isometries are shifts. Several families of examples are introduced and classified.