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FACTORIZATIONS OF CONTRACTIONS B. KRISHNA DAS, JAYDEB SARKAR, AND SRIJAN SARKAR Abstract. The celebrated Sz.-Nagy and Foias theorem asserts that every pure contraction is unitarily equivalent to an operator of the form PQ Mz |Q where Q is a Mz∗ -invariant subspace 2 of a D-valued Hardy space HD (D), for some Hilbert space D. On the other hand, the celebrated theorem of Berger, Coburn and Lebow on pairs of commuting isometries can be formulated as follows: a pure isometry V on a Hilbert space H is a product of two commuting isometries V1 and V2 in B(H) if and only if there exists a Hilbert space E, a unitary U in B(E) and an orthogonal projection P in B(E) such that (V, V1 , V2 ) and (Mz , MΦ , MΨ ) on HE2 (D) are unitarily equivalent, where Φ(z) = (P + zP ⊥ )U ∗

and

Ψ(z) = U (P ⊥ + zP )

(z ∈ D).

In this context, it is natural to ask whether similar factorization result hold true for pure contractions. The purpose of this paper is to answer this question. More particularly, let T be a pure contraction on a Hilbert space H and let PQ Mz |Q be the Sz.-Nagy and Foias 2 (D). Then T = T1 T2 , for some commuting representation of T for some canonical Q ⊆ HD contractions T1 and T2 on H, if and only if there exists B(D)-valued polynomials ϕ and ψ of degree ≤ 1 such that Q is a joint (Mϕ∗ , Mψ∗ )-invariant subspace, PQ Mz |Q = PQ Mϕψ |Q = PQ Mψϕ |Q and (T1 , T2 ) ∼ = (PQ Mϕ |Q , PQ Mψ |Q ). Moreover, there exists a Hilbert space E and an isometry V ∈ B(D, E) such that ϕ(z) = V ∗ Φ(z)V and ψ(z) = V ∗ Ψ(z)V

(z ∈ D),

where the pair (Φ, Ψ), as defined above, is the Berger, Coburn and Lebow representation of a pure pair of commuting isometries on HE2 (D).

1. Introduction Let H be a Hilbert space and V be an isometry on H. It is a classical result, due to von Neumann and Wold (cf. [12]), that V is unitarily equivalent to Mz ⊕ U where Mz is the shift operator on E-valued Hardy space HE2 (D), for some Hilbert space E, and U is a unitary operator on Hu , where ∞

Hu = ∩ V m H. m=0

We say that V is pure if Hu = {0}, or, equivalently, if V ∗m → 0 in the strong operator topology (that is, kV ∗m hk → 0 as m → ∞ for all h ∈ H). Pure isometry, that is, shift operator on vector-valued Hardy space plays an important role in the study of general operators that stems from the following result (see [12, 13]): 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. 47A13, 47A20, 47A56, 47A68, 47B38, 46E20, 30H10. Key words and phrases. pair of commuting contractions, pair of commuting isometries, isometric dilations, inner multiplier, Hardy space, factorizations of bounded linear operators, von Neumann Wold decomposition. 1

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Theorem 1.1. (Sz.-Nagy and Foias) Let T be a pure contraction on a Hilbert space H. Then T and PQ Mz |Q are unitarily equivalent, where Q is a closed Mz∗ -invariant subspace of a vector-valued Hardy space HD2 (D). Here the D-valued Hardy space over D, denoted by HD2 (D), is defined by X X HD2 (D) := {f = ηk z k ∈ O(D, D) : ηj ∈ D, j ∈ N, kf k2 := kηk k2 < ∞}. k∈N

k∈N

Recall that a contraction T on a Hilbert space H is pure (cf. [16]) if T ∗m → 0 as m → ∞ in the strong operator topology. Also note that, in the above theorem, one can represent the coefficient Hilbert space D as ran(I − T T ∗ ) (see [12]). In contrast with the von-Neumann and Wold decomposition theorem for isometries, the structure of commuting n-tuples of isometries, n ≥ 2, is much more complicated and very little, in general, is known (see [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 17, 18, 14]). However, for pure pairs of commuting isometries, the problem is more tractable. A pair of commuting isometries (V1 , V2 ) on a Hilbert space H is said to be pure if V1 V2 is a pure isometry, that is, ∞

∩ V1m V2m H = {0}.

m=0

With this as motivation, a pair of commuting contractions (T1 , T2 ) is said to be pure if T1 T2 is a pure contraction. The concept of pure pair of commuting isometries introduced by Berger, Coburn and Lebow [5] is an important development in the study of representation and Fredholm theory for C ∗ -algebras generated by commuting isometries. They showed that a pair of commuting isometries (V1 , V2 ) on a Hilbert space H is pure if and only if there exists a Hilbert space E, a unitary U in B(E) and an orthogonal projection in B(E) such that (V1 , V2 ) on H and (MΦ , MΨ ) on HE2 (D) are jointly unitarily equivalent, where (1.1)

Φ(z) = (P + zP ⊥ )U ∗

and Ψ(z) = U (P ⊥ + zP )

(z ∈ D).

Moreover MΦ MΨ = MΨ MΦ = Mz , and V1 V2 on H and Mz on HE2 (D) are unitarily equivalent (see also [4, 9]). More precisely, if Π : H → HE2 (D) denote the unitary map, implemented by the Wold and von Neumann decomposition of the pure isometry V1 V2 with E = ran(I − V1 V2 V1∗ V2∗ ) (cf. [16]), then ΠV1 = MΦ Π,

and

ΠV2 = MΨ Π.

∞ In what follows, for a triple (E, U, P ) as above we let Φ, Ψ ∈ HB(E) (D) denote the isometric multipliers as defined in (1.1). We refer to such a pure pair of isometries (MΦ , MΨ ) simply as the triple (E, U, P ). Our work is motivated by the following equivalent interpretations of the Berger, Coburn and Lebow’s characterizations of pure pairs of commuting isometries: (I) Let (V1 , V2 ) be a pure pair of commuting isometries and let Mz on HE2 (D) be the von Neumann and Wold decomposition representation of V1 V2 . Then there exists a unitary U and

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an orthogonal projection P in B(E) such that the representations of V1 and V2 in B(HE2 (D)) are given by MΦ and MΨ , respectively. (II) Let (X, Y ) be a pair of commuting isometries in B(HE2 (D)). Moreover, let X and Y are ∞ (D). Then Mz = XY if and only if Toeplitz operators [12] with analytic symbols from HB(E) there exists a unitary U and an orthogonal projection P in B(E) such that (X, Y ) = (MΦ , MΨ ). In this paper we shall obtain similar results for pure pairs of commuting contractions acting on Hilbert spaces. More specifically, summarizing Theorems 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1 and Corollary 4.2, we have the following: Let T be a pure contraction and (T1 , T2 ) be a pair of commuting contractions on a Hilbert space H. Let Q be the Sz.-Nagy and Foias representation of T , that is, Q is a Mz∗ -invariant subspace of a vector-valued Hardy space HD2 (D) and T and PQ Mz |Q are unitarily equivalent (see Theorem 1.1 and Section 2) where D = ran(I − T T ∗ ). Then the following are equivalent: (i) T = T1 T2 . ˜ of H 2 (D) (ii) There exists a triple (E, U, P ) and a joint (Mz∗ , MΦ∗ , MΨ∗ )-invariant subspace Q E such that T1 ∼ = PQ˜ Mz |Q˜ and MΦ MΨ = MΨ MΦ = Mz . = PQ˜ MΨ |Q˜ , T ∼ = PQ˜ MΦ |Q˜ , T2 ∼ In other wards, (T1 , T2 , T ) on H dilates to (MΦ , MΨ , Mz ) on HE2 (D). (iii) There exists B(D)-valued polynomials ϕ and ψ of degree ≤ 1 such that Q is a joint (Mϕ∗ , Mψ∗ )-invariant subspace, PQ Mz |Q = PQ Mϕψ |Q = PQ Mψϕ |Q , and (T1 , T2 ) ∼ = (PQ Mϕ |Q , PQ Mψ |Q ). In particular, if T = T1 T2 then the Sz.-Nagy and Foias representations of T1 and T2 on Q are given by PQ Mϕ |Q and PQ Mψ |Q , respectively. Moreover, it turns out that the pair (Mϕ , Mψ ) is closely related to pure pair of isometries in the following sense: there exists a triple (E, U, P ) and an isometry V ∈ B(D, E) such that ϕ(z) = V ∗ Φ(z)V and ψ(z) = V ∗ Ψ(z)V

(z ∈ D).

The plan of the paper is the following. Section 2 contain some preliminaries and a key dilation result. In Section 3, we prove that a pure pair of commuting contractions always dilates to a pure pair of commuting isometries. Our construction is more explicit for pairs of contractions with finite dimensional defect spaces. In Section 4, by using a factorization result of dilation maps, we obtain explicit representations of factors of a pure contraction in its corresponding Sz.-Nagy and Foias space. 2. Preliminaries In this section, we set notation and definitions and discuss some preliminaries. Also we prove a basic dilation result in Theorem 2.1. This result will play a fundamental role throughout the remainder of the paper.

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Let T be a contraction on a Hilbert space H (that is, kT f k ≤ kf k for all f ∈ H or, equivalently, if IH − T T ∗ ≥ 0) and let E be a Hilbert space. Then Mz on HE2 (D) is called an isometric dilation of T (cf. [16]) if there exists an isometry Γ : H → HE2 (D) such that ΓT ∗ = Mz∗ Γ. Similarly, a pair of commuting operators (U1 , U2 ) on a Hilbert space K is said to be a dilation of a commuting pair of operators (T1 , T2 ) on a Hilbert space H if there exists an isometry Γ : H → K such that (j = 1, 2). ΓTj∗ = Uj∗ Γ ∗ Note that, in this case, Q := ranΓ is a joint (U1 , U2∗ )-invariant subspace of K and Tj ∼ (j = 1, 2). = PQ Uj |Q Now let T be a contraction on a Hilbert space H. Set DT = ran(IH − T T ∗ ),

1

DT = (IH − T T ∗ ) 2 .

If in addition, T is pure then Mz on HD2 T (D), induced by the isometry Π : H → HD2 T (D), is an isometric dilation of T (cf. [16]), where (2.1)

(Πh)(z) = DT (IH − zT ∗ )−1 h

(z ∈ D, h ∈ H).

In particular, this yields a proof of Theorem 1.1 that every pure contraction is unitarily equivalent to the compression of Mz to a Mz∗ -invariant closed subspace of a vector-valued Hardy space. It is also important to note that the above dilation is minimal, that is, (2.2)

HD2 T (D) = span{z m Πf : m ∈ N, f ∈ H},

and hence unique in an appropriate sense (see [12] and also the Factorization theorem, Theorem 4.1, in [15]). Our considerations will also rely on the techniques of transfer functions (cf. [7]). Let H1 and H2 be two Hilbert spaces, and   A B U= ∈ B(H1 ⊕ H2 ), C D be a unitary operator. Then the B(H1 )-valued analytic function τU on D defined by τU (z) := A + zB(I − zD)−1 C

(z ∈ D),



is called the transfer function of U . Using U U = I, a standard and well known computation yields (cf. [7]) (2.3)

I − τU (z)∗ τU (z) = (1 − |z|2 )C ∗ (I − z¯D∗ )−1 (I − zD)−1 C

(z ∈ D).

However, in this paper, we will mostly deal with transfer functions corresponding to unitary  A B matrices of the form U = . In this case, it follows (see (2.3)) from the identity C 0 I − τU (z)∗ τU (z) = (1 − |z|2 )C ∗ C that τU is a B(H1 )-valued inner function [12].

(z ∈ D)

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Now let (T1 , T2 ) be a pair of commuting contractions. Since (IH − T1 T1∗ ) + T1 (IH − T2 T2∗ )T1∗ = T2 (IH − T1 T1∗ )T2∗ + (IH − T2 T2∗ ), it follows that kDT1 hk2 + kDT2 T1∗ hk2 = kDT1 T2∗ hk2 + kDT2 hk2

(h ∈ H).

Thus U : {DT1 h ⊕ DT2 T1∗ h : h ∈ H} → {DT1 T2∗ h ⊕ DT2 h : h ∈ H} defined by (2.4)

U (DT1 h, DT2 T1∗ h) = (DT1 T2∗ h, DT2 h)

(h ∈ H),

is an isometry. This operator will play a very important role in the sequel. We now formulate the main theorem of this section, a result which will play a very important part in our considerations later on. Here the proof is similar in spirit to the main dilation result of [7]. Let H and E be Hilbert spaces and let (S, T ) be a pair of commuting contractions on H. Let T be pure and V ∈ B(DT , E) be an isometry. Then the isometric dilation of T , Π : H → HD2 T (D) as defined in (2.1), allows us to define an isometry ΠV ∈ B(H, HE2 (D)) by setting ΠV := (IH 2 (D) ⊗ V )Π. It is easy to check that ΠV T ∗ = (Mz∗ ⊗ IE )ΠV , and hence we conclude that Mz on HE2 (D) is an isometric dilation of T . In particular, Q = ΠV H is a Mz∗ -invariant subspace of HE2 (D) and T ∼ = PQ Mz |Q . Theorem 2.1. With notations as above, let   A B U= : E ⊕ DS → E ⊕ DS , C 0 be a unitary and U (V DT h, DS T ∗ h) = (V DT S ∗ h, DS h) ∗





(h ∈ H). ∗

We denote by Φ(z) = A + zC B the transfer function of U . Then Φ is a B(E)-valued inner function and ΠV S ∗ = MΦ∗ ΠV . In particular, Q = ΠV H is a joint (Mz∗ , MΦ∗ )-invariant subspace of HE2 (D) and T∗ ∼ = M ∗ |Q and S ∗ ∼ = M ∗ |Q . z

Φ

Proof. We only need to prove that ΠV S ∗ = MΦ∗ ΠV . Now for each h ∈ H we have the equality      A B V DT h V DT S ∗ h = , C 0 DS T ∗ h DS h that is, V DT S ∗ h = AV DT h + BDS T ∗ h, and DS h = CV DT h.

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This implies V DT S ∗ = AV DT + BCV DT T ∗ . Now if n ≥ 1, h ∈ H and η ∈ E, then hMΦ∗ ΠV h, z n ηi = h(I ⊗ V )DT (I − zT ∗ )−1 h, (A∗ + zC ∗ B ∗ )(z n η)i = hV DT T ∗n h, A∗ ηi + hV DT T ∗(n+1) h, C ∗ B ∗ ηi = h(AV DT + BCV DT T ∗ )(T ∗n h), ηi = hV DT S ∗ (T ∗n h), ηi. On the other hand, since hΠV S ∗ h, z n ηi = hV DT (I − zT ∗ )−1 S ∗ h, z n ηi = h(V DT S ∗ )(T ∗n h), ηi, we get ΠV S ∗ = MΦ∗ ΠV . This completes the proof.



3. Dilating to pure isometries In this section we prove that a pure pair of commuting contractions dilates to a pure pair of commuting isometries. We describe the construction of dilations more explicitly in the case of finite dimensional defect spaces. Theorem 3.1. Let (T1 , T2 ) be a pure pair of commuting contractions on H and dim DTj < ∞, j = 1, 2. Then (T1 , T2 ) dilates to a pure pair of commuting isometries. 2 Proof. Set E := DT1 ⊕ DT2 and T := T1 T2 . Let Π : H → HD (D) be the isometric dilation of T T as defined in (2.1). Consequently,

ΠV := (IH 2 (D) ⊗ V )Π : H → HE2 (D) is an isometric dilation of T , and hence T ∼ = PQ Mz |Q where Q = ΠV H is a Mz∗ -invariant subspace of HE2 (D) (see the proof of Theorem 2.1). Now observe that the equality (3.1)

I − T T ∗ = I − T1 T2 T1∗ T2∗ = (I − T1 T1∗ ) + T1 (I − T2 T2∗ )T1∗ , implies that the operator V ∈ B(DT , E) defined by V (DT h) = (DT1 h, DT2 T1∗ h)

(h ∈ H),

is an isometry. Let ιj : DTj → E, j = 1, 2, be the inclusion maps, defined by ι1 (h1 ) = (h1 , 0) and ι2 (h2 ) = (0, h2 )

(h1 ∈ DT1 , h2 ∈ DT2 ).

Then P := ι2 ι∗2 ∈ B(E) is the orthogonal projection onto DT2 , that is, P (h1 , h2 ) = (0, h2 )

((h1 , h2 ) ∈ E).

Thus, ι1 ι∗1 = P ⊥ is the orthogonal projection onto DT1 , and so   P ι1 : E ⊕ DT1 → E ⊕ DT1 ι∗1 0

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is a unitary. Now since dim E < ∞, it follows that the isometry U , as defined in (2.4), extends to a unitary, denoted again by U , on E. In particular, there exists a unitary operator U on E such that (h ∈ H). U (DT1 T2∗ h, DT2 h) = (DT1 h, DT2 T1∗ h) Then 

U 0 U1 = 0 I

    U P U ι1 P ι1 , = 0 ι∗1 ι∗1 0

is a unitary operator in B(E ⊕ DT1 ). Moreover, for all h ∈ H, we have   U1 V (DT h), DT1 T ∗ h = U1 DT1 h, DT2 T1∗ h, DT1 T1∗ T2∗ h  = U (DT1 T1∗ T2∗ h, DT2 T1∗ h), DT1 h  = DT1 T1∗ h, DT2 T1∗ h, DT1 h  = V (DT T1∗ h), DT1 h . Consequently, by Theorem 2.1 we have ΠV T1∗ = MΦ∗ ΠV , where Φ(z) = P U ∗ + zι1 ι∗1 U ∗ = (P + zP ⊥ )U ∗

(z ∈ D),

is the transfer function of the unitary operator U1∗ . Similarly, if we define a unitary U2 ∈ B(E ⊕ DT2 ) by  ⊥    ⊥ ∗  P ι2 U ∗ 0 P U ι2 U2 = ∗ = ∗ ∗ , 0 I ι2 0 ι2 U 0 then   U2 V (DT h), DT2 T ∗ h = V (DT T2∗ h), DT2 h

(h ∈ H),

and hence by Theorem 2.1, we have ΠV T2∗ = MΨ∗ ΠV , where Ψ(z) = U P ⊥ + zU ι2 ι∗2 = U (P ⊥ + zP ), is the transfer function for the unitary operator U2∗ . This completes the proof that the pair of commuting pure isometries (MΦ , MΨ ) on HE2 (D) corresponding to the triple (E, U, P ) dilates (T1 , T2 ).  We will now go on to give a proof of the general result. The proof is essentially the same as the previous theorem except the constructions of unitary operators and inclusion maps. Theorem 3.2. Let (T1 , T2 ) be a pure pair of commuting contractions on H. Then (T1 , T2 ) dilates to a pure pair of commuting isometries.

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Proof. Let dim DT1 = ∞, or dim DT2 = ∞ and D be an infinite dimensional Hilbert space. Set E := (D ⊕ DT1 ) ⊕ DT2 . We now define inclusion maps ι1 : D ⊕ DT1 → E and ι2 : DT2 → E by ι1 (h, h1 ) = (h, h1 , 0) and ι2 h2 = (0, 0, h2 ), (h ∈ D, h1 ∈ DT1 , h2 ∈ DT2 ) respectively, and an isometric embedding V ∈ B(DT , E) by V DT h = (0, DT1 h, DT2 T1∗ h) (h ∈ H). We also define the orthogonal projection P by P = ι2 ι∗2 . Therefore P (h1 , h2 , h3 ) = (0, 0, h3 )

((h1 , h2 , h3 ) ∈ E).

Finally, since UD (0D , DT1 h, DT2 T1∗ h) = (0D , DT1 T2∗ h, DT2 h)

(h ∈ H),

defines an isometry from {0D }⊕{DT1 h⊕DT2 T1∗ h : h ∈ H} to {0D }⊕{DT1 T2∗ h⊕DT2 h : h ∈ H}, we can therefore extend UD to a unitary, denoted again by UD , acting on E. With these notations we define unitary operators     ⊥ ∗ UD P UD ι1 P UD ι2 ∈ B(E ⊕ DT2 ). ∈ B(E ⊕ (D ⊕ DT1 )) and U2 = ∗ ∗ U1 = 0 ι∗1 ι2 UD 0 The rest of the proof proceeds in the same way as in Theorem 3.1. This completes the proof.  The main inconvenience of our approach seems to be the nonuniqueness of the triple (E, U, P ). This issue is closely related to the nonuniqueness of Ando dilation [1] and solutions of commutant lifting theorem [8]. 4. Factorizations Let (T1 , T2 ) be a pair of commuting contractions on H and T = T1 T2 be a pure contraction. Then by Theorem 1.1 we can realize T as PQ Mz |Q where Q = ranΠ = ΠH is the Sz.-Nagy and Foias model space and Π : H → HD2 T (D) is the minimal isometric dilation of T (see (2.2)). In this section we will show that T1 and T2 can be realized as compressions of two B(DT )valued polynomials of degree ≤ 1 in the Sz.-Nagy and Foias model space Q of the pure contraction T . Our method involves a “pull-back” technique (see [15]) of the pure pair of isometric dilation, as obtained in Theorems 3.1 and 3.2, to the Sz.-Nagy and Foias minimal isometric dilation. Let ΠV : H → HE2 (D) be the isometric dilation as in Theorems 3.1 and 3.2, that is, ΠV T1∗ = MΦ∗ ΠV

and ΠV T2∗ = MΨ∗ ΠV .

Now by canonical factorization of dilations (cf. Theorem 4.1 [15]), there exists a unique isometry V˜ ∈ B(DT , E) such that the following diagram commutes

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HD2 T (D) Π



I ⊗ V˜ ?

H

-

ΠV

HE2 (D)

that is ΠV = (I ⊗ V˜ )Π. By uniqueness of V˜ and the definition of ΠV (see (3.1)), we have that V = V˜ . Thus ΠT1∗ = (I ⊗ V ∗ )MΦ∗ (I ⊗ V )Π = Mϕ∗ Π, where ϕ(z) = V ∗ Φ(z)V

(z ∈ D).

Similarly, we derive ΠT2∗ = (I ⊗ V ∗ )MΨ∗ (I ⊗ V )Π = Mψ∗ Π, where ψ(z) = V ∗ Ψ(z)V (z ∈ D). In particular, ran Π is a joint (Mϕ∗ , Mψ∗ )-invariant subspace and by construction of Π it follows that ΠT ∗ = Mz∗ Π, and ran Π is a also a Mz∗ -invariant subspace of HD2 T (D). We have thus proved the following theorem. Theorem 4.1. Let T be a pure contraction on a Hilbert space H and let T ∼ = PQ Mz |Q be the Sz.-Nagy and Foias representation of T as in Theorem 1.1. If T = T1 T2 , for some commuting pair of contractions (T1 , T2 ) on H, then there exists B(DT )-valued polynomials ϕ and ψ of degree ≤ 1 such that Q is a joint (Mϕ∗ , Mψ∗ )-invariant subspace and (T1 , T2 ) ∼ = (PQ Mϕ |Q , PQ Mϕ |Q ). In particular, PQ Mz |Q = PQ Mϕψ |Q = PQ Mϕφ |Q . It is important to note that PQ Mϕψ |Q = PQ Mψϕ |Q , even though, in general ϕψ 6= ψϕ. A reformulation of Theorem 4.1 is the following:

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Corollary 4.2. Let T be a pure contraction on a Hilbert space H and let T ∼ = PQ Mz |Q be the Sz.-Nagy and Foias representation of T as in Theorem 1.1. Then T = T1 T2 , for some commuting pair of contractions (T1 , T2 ) on H, if and only if there exists B(DT )-valued polynomials ϕ and ψ of degree ≤ 1 such that Q is a joint (Mϕ∗ , Mψ∗ )-invariant subspace, PQ Mz |Q = PQ Mϕψ |Q = PQ Mψϕ |Q , and (T1 , T2 ) ∼ = (PQ Mϕ |Q , PQ Mψ |Q ). Moreover, there exists a triple (E, U, P ) and an isometry V ∈ B(DT , E) such that ϕ(z) = V ∗ Φ(z)V and ψ(z) = V ∗ Ψ(z)V

(z ∈ D).

Acknowledgement: The first author’s research work is supported by DST-INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship No. DST/INSPIRE/04/2015/001094. The research of the second author is supported in part by NBHM (National Board of Higher Mathematics, India) Research Grant NBHM/R.P.64/2014 References [1] T. Ando, On a pair of commutative contractions, Acta Sci. Math. (Szeged), 24 (1963), 88-90. [2] H. Bercovici, R.G. Douglas and C. Foias, Canonical models for bi-isometries, A panorama of modern operator theory and related topics, 177-205, Oper. Theory Adv. Appl., 218, Birkhauser/Springer Basel AG, Basel, 2012. [3] H. Bercovici, R.G. Douglas and C. Foias, Bi-isometries and commutant lifting, Characteristic functions, scattering functions and transfer functions, 51-76, Oper. Theory Adv. Appl., 197, Birkhauser Verlag, Basel, 2010. [4] H. Bercovici, R.G. Douglas and C. Foias, On the classification of multi-isometries, Acta Sci. Math. (Szeged) 72 (2006), 639-661. [5] C.A. Berger, L.A. Coburn and A. Lebow, Representation and index theory for C ∗ -algebras generated by commuting isometries, J. Funct. Anal. 27 (1978), no. 1, 51–99. [6] K. Bickel and G. Knese, Canonical Agler decompositions and transfer function realizations, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 368 (2016), 6293-6324. [7] B.K. Das and J. Sarkar, Ando dilations, von Neumann inequality, and distinguished varieties, arXiv:1510.04655. [8] C. Foias and A. E. Frazho, The commutant lifting approach to interpolation problems, Operator Theory: Advances and Applications, 44. Birkhauser Verlag, Basel, 1990. [9] D. Gaspar and P. Gaspar, Wold decompositions and the unitary model for biisometries, Integral Equations Operator Theory, 49 (2004), 419-433. [10] K. Guo and R. Yang, The core function of submodules over the bidisk, Indiana Univ. Math. J. 53 (2004), 205-222. [11] W. He, Y. Qin and R. Yang, Numerical invariants for commuting isometric pairs, Indiana Univ. Math. J., 64 (2015), 1–19. [12] B. Sz.-Nagy and C. Foias, Harmonic Analysis of Operators on Hilbert Space. North-Holland, AmsterdamLondon, 1970. [13] B. Sz.-Nagy, Sur les contractions de l’espace de Hilbert, Acta Sci. Math. (Szeged), 15 (1953), 87–92. [14] W. Rudin, Function Theory in Polydiscs, Benjamin, New York, 1969. [15] J. Sarkar, Operator theory on symmetrized bidisc, Indiana Univ. Math. J. 64 (2015), 847-873.

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[16] J. Sarkar, An Introduction to Hilbert module approach to multivariable operator theory, Operator Theory, (2015) 969–1033 , Springer. [17] R. Yang, The core operator and congruent submodules, J. Funct. Anal. 228 (2005), 469-489. [18] R. Yang, Hilbert-Schmidt submodules and issues of unitary equivalence, J. Operator Theory 53 (2005), 169-184. Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India E-mail address: [email protected], [email protected] Indian Statistical Institute, Statistics and Mathematics Unit, 8th Mile, Mysore Road, Bangalore, 560059, India E-mail address: [email protected], [email protected] Indian Statistical Institute, Statistics and Mathematics Unit, 8th Mile, Mysore Road, Bangalore, 560059, India E-mail address: srijan [email protected], [email protected]