The inner kernel theorem for a certain Segal algebra

Abstract

AbstractThe Segal algebra $${\mathbf{S}}_{0}(G)$$ S 0 ( G ) is well defined for arbitrary locally compact Abelian Hausdorff (LCA) groups G. It is a Banach space that exhibits a kernel theorem similar to the well-known Schwartz kernel theorem. Specifically, we call this characterization of the continuous linear operators from $${\mathbf{S}}_{0}(G_1)$$ S 0 ( G 1 ) to $${\mathbf{S}}'_{0}(G_2)$$ S 0 ′ ( G 2 ) by generalized functions in $${\mathbf{S}}'_{0}(G_1 \times G_2)$$ S 0 ′ ( G 1 × G 2 ) the “outer kernel theorem”. The main subject of this paper is to formulate what we call the “inner kernel theorem”. This is the characterization of those linear operators that have kernels in $${\mathbf{S}}_{0}(G_1 \times G_2)$$ S 0 ( G 1 × G 2 ) . Such operators are regularizing—in the sense that they map $${\mathbf{S}}'_{0}(G_1)$$ S 0 ′ ( G 1 ) into $${\mathbf{S}}_{0}(G_2)$$ S 0 ( G 2 ) in a $$w^{*}$$ w ∗ to norm continuous manner. A detailed functional analytic treatment of these operators is given and applied to the case of general LCA groups. This is done without the use of Wilson bases, which have previously been employed for the case of elementary LCA groups. We apply our approach to describe natural laws of composition for operators that imitate those of linear mappings via matrix multiplications. Furthermore, we detail how these operators approximate general operators (in a weak form). As a concrete example, we derive the widespread statement of engineers and physicists that pure frequencies “integrate” to a Dirac delta distribution in a mathematically justifiable way.