Inverse spectral problems for positive Hankel operators

Abstract

A Hankel operator $\Gamma$ in $L^2(\mathbb{R}_+)$ is an integral operator with the integral kernel of the form $h(t+s)$, where $h$ is known as the kernel function. It is known that $\Gamma$ is positive semi-definite if and only if $h$ is the Laplace transform of a positive measure $\mu$ on $\mathbb{R}_+$. Thus, positive semi-definite Hankel operators $\Gamma$ are parameterised by measures $\mu$ on $\mathbb{R}_+$. We consider the class of $\Gamma$ corresponding to \emph{finite} measures $\mu$. In this case it is possible to define the (scalar) spectral measure $\sigma$ of $\Gamma$ in a natural way. The measure $\sigma$ is also finite on $\mathbb{R}_+$. This defines the \emph{spectral map} $\mu\mapsto\sigma$ on finite measures on $\mathbb{R}_+$. We prove that this map is an involution; in particular, it is a bijection. We also consider a dual variant of this problem for measures $\mu$ that are not necessarily finite but have the finite integral \[ \int_0^\infty x^{-2}\mathrm{d}\mu(x); \] we call such measures \emph{co-finite}.