A harmonic NA group is a suitable solvable extension of a two-step nilpotent Lie group N of Heisenberg type by R+, which acts on N by anisotropic dilations. A hypergroup is a locally compact space for which the space of Borel measures has a convolution structure preserving the probability measures and satisfying suitable conditions. We describe a class of hypergroups associated to NA groups.

Let φ be a continuous nonzero homomorphism of the convolution algebra L1loc(R+) and also the unique extension of this homomorphism to Mloc(R+). We show that the map φis continuous in the weak* and strong opertor topologies on Mloc, considered as the dual space of Cc(R+) and as the multiplier algebra of L1loc. Analogous results are proved for homomorphism from L1 [0, a) to L1 [0, b). For each convolution algebra L1 (ω1), φ restricts to a continuous homomorphism from some L1 (ω1) to some L1 (ω2), and, for each sufficiently large L1 (ω2), φ restricts to a continuous homomorphism from some L1 (ω1) to L1 (ω2). We also determine which continuous homomorphisms between weighted convolution algebras extend to homomorphisms of L1loc. We also prove results on convergent nets, continuous semigroups, and bounded sets in Mloc that we need in our study of homomorphisms.

Let G be an exponential Lie group. We study primitive ideals (i.e. kernels of irreducible *-representations of L1(G)), with bounded approximate units (b.a.u.). We prove a result relating the existence of b.a.u. in certain primitive ideals with the geometry of the corresponding Kirillov orbits. This yields for a solvable group of class 2, a characterization of the primitive ideals with b.a.u.

Let X be either the d-dimensional sphere or a compact, simply connected, simple, connected Lie group. We define a mean-value operator analogous to the spherical mean-value operator acting on integrable functions on Euclidean space. The value of this operator will be written as ℳ f (x, a), where x ∈ X and a varies over a torus A in the group of isometries of X. For each of these cases there is an interval pO < p ≦ 2, where the p0 depends on the geometry of X, such that if f is in Lp (X) then there is a set full measure in X and if x lies in this set, the function a ↦ℳ f(x, a) has some Hölder continuity on compact subsets of the regular elements of A.

Let Δ be a thick building of type Ã2, and let be its set of vertices. We study a commutative algebra of ‘averaging’ operators acting on the space of complex valued functions on . This algebra may be identified with a space of ‘biradial functions’ on , or with a convolution algebra of bi-K-invariant functions on G, if G is a sufficiently large group of ‘type-rotating’ automorphisms of Δ, and K is the subgroup of G fixing a given vertex. We describe the multiplicative functionals on and the corresponding spherical functions. We consider the C*-algebra induced by on l2, find its spectrum Σ, prove positive definiteness of a kernel kz for each z ∈ Σ, find explicity the spherical Plancherel formula for any group G of type rotating automorphisms, and discuss the irreducibility of the unitary representations appearing therein. For the class of buildings ΔJ arising from the groups ΓJ introduced in [2], this involves proving that the weak closure of is maximal abelian in the von Neumann algebra generated by the left regular representation of ΓJ.

In 1947 I. E. Segal proved that to each non-degenerate ~ -representation R of L1 (= L1 (G) for a compact group G) with representation space , there corresponds a continuous unitary representation W of G, also with representation space , which satisfies

for each fL1 and hk. This was extended to Lp,1p < , in 1970 by E. Hewitt and K. A. Ross. We now generalize this result to any symmetric homogeneous convolution Banach alebra of pseudomeasures on G. Further we prove that the correspondence preserves irreduibility.

Let G be a locally compact group G (which may be non-abelian) and Ap(G) the p-Fourier algebra of Herz (1971). This paper is concerned with the Fourier algebra Al, p(G) = Ap(G) ∩ L1(G) and various relations that exist between Al, p(G), Ap(G) and G.

Iseki [11] defined a general notion of ergodicity suitable for functions ϕ: J → X where J is an arbitrary abelian semigroup and X is a Banach space. In this paper we develop the theory of such functions, showing in particular that it fits the general framework established by Eberlein [9] for ergodicity of semigroups of operators acting on X. Moreover, let A be a translation invariant closed subspace of the space of all bounded functions from J to X. We prove that if A contains the constant functions and ϕ is an ergodic function whose differences lie in A then ϕ ∈ A. This result has applications to spaces of sequences facilitating new proofs of theorems of Gelfand and Katznelson-Tzafriri [12]. We also obtain a decomposition for the space of ergodic vectors of a representation T: J → L(X) generalizing results known for the case J = Z+. Finally, when J is a subsemigroup of a locally compact abelian group G, we compare the Iseki integrals with the better known Cesàro integrals.

The object is to unify and complement some recent theorems of Hewitt and Ritter on the integrability of Fourier transforms, but the underlying theme is the ancient one that Plancherel's theorem is the “only” integrability constraint on Fourier transforms. The distinguishing feature of the results is that we restrict attention to positive measures (or functions) which satisfy an ergodic condition and whose transforms are positive. (In fact we employ sums of discrete random variables, a technique which seems to have been largely ignored in context.) The general setting is that of locally compact abelian groups but we are chiefly interested in the line or the circle, and it appears that the theorems are new for these classical groups.

The notion of a scalar operator on a Banach space, in the sense of N. Dunford, is widened so as to cover those operators which can be approximated in the operator norm by linear combinations of disjoint values of an additive and multiplicative operator valued set function, P, on an algebra of sets in a space Ω such that P(Ω) = I, subject to some conditions guaranteeing that this definition is unambiguous. An operator T turns out to be scalar in this sense, if and only if, there exists a (not necessarily bounded) Boolean algebra of bounded projections such that the Banach algebra of operators it generates is semisimple and contains T.

Closed ideals in A(G) with bounded approximate identities are characterized for amenable [SIN]-groups and arbitrary discrete groups. This extends a result of Liu, van Rooij and Wang for abelian groups.

Let be the classical system of the Walsh functions, the multiplicative semigroup of the functions represented by series of functions Wk(t)with non-negative coefficients which sum equals 1. We study the arithmetic of . The analogues of the well-known [ related to the arithmetic of the convolution semigroup of probability measures on the real line are valid in . The classes of idempotent elements, of infinitely divisible elements, of elements without indecomposable factors, and of elements without indecomposable and non-degenerate idempotent factors are completely described. We study also the class of indecomposable elements. Our method is based on the following fact: is isomorphic to the semigroup of probability measures on the groups of characters of the Cantor-Walsh group.

The concept of semi-bounded generalized hypergroups (SBG hypergroups) is developed. These hypergroups are more special than generalized hypergroups introduced by Obata and Wildberger and more general than discrete hypergroups or even discrete signed hypergroups. The convolution of measures and functions is studied. In the case of commutativity we define the dual objects and prove some basic theorems of Fourier analysis. Furthermore, we investigate the relationship between orthogonal polynomials and generalized hypergroups. We discuss the Jacobi polynomials as an example.

Let {λj}j≥0 be a sequence of positive integers such that λj+1/λj≥3 and {aj}j≥0 a sequence of complex numbers such that |aj|≤1. Let μ be the Riesz product πj≥0[1+ Re(ajeiλjx)], that is, the weak limit of measures on T the density of which are the partial products. Then if Σj≥0|aj|2≤∞ the series Σj≥0 aj(eiλjx - ½āj) converges for μ-almost every x. The μ-a.e. convergence of series Σ ajeinλjx is also investigated as well as the case of Riesz products on a compact commutative group.

The Lebesgue measure, λ (E + F), of the algebraic sum of two Borel sets, E, F of the classical “middle-thirds’ Cantor set on the circle can be estimated by evaluating the Cantor meaure, μ of the summands. For example log λ (E + F) exceeds a fixed scalar multiple of log μ (E)+ log μ (F). Several numerical inequalities which are required to prove this and related results look tantalizingly simple and basic. Here we isolate them from the measure theory and present a common format and proof.

Let ℳ be a von Neumann algebra with a faithful normal trace τ, and let H∞ be a finite, maximal. subdiagonal algebra of ℳ. We prove that the Hilbert transform associated with H∞ is a linear continuous map from L1 (ℳ, τ) into L1.∞ (ℳ, τ). This provides a non-commutative version of a classical theorem of Kolmogorov on weak type boundedness of the Hilbert transform. We also show that if a positive measurable operator b is such that b log+b ∈ L1 (ℳ, τ) then its conjugate b, relative to H∞ belongs to L1 (ℳ, τ). These results generalize classical facts from function algebra theory to a non-commutative setting.

We deal with the dual Banach algebras for a locally compact group G. We investigate compact left multipliers on , and prove that the existence of a compact left multiplier on is equivalent to compactness of G. We also describe some classes of left completely continuous elements in .

A number of well-known results of Ghahramani and Loy on the essential amenability of Banach algebras are generalized. It is proved that a symmetric abstract Segal algebra with respect to an amenable Banach algebra is essentially amenable. Applications to locally compact groups are given.

We compute the spherical functions on the symmetric space Sp2n/Spn×Spn and derive a Plancherel formula for functions on the symmetric space. As an application of the Plancherel formula, we prove an identity which amounts to the fundamental lemma of a relative trace identity between Sp2n and .

In this paper, a general construction of a skew-product dynamical system, for which the skew-product dynamical system studied by Hahn is a special case, is given. Then the ergodic and topological properties (of a special type) of our newly defined systems (called Milnes-type systems) are investigated. It is shown that the Milnes-type systems are actually natural extensions of dynamical systems corresponding to some special distal functions. Finally, the topological centre of Ellis groups of any skew-product dynamical system is calculated.