A collection of papers on different aspects of operator theory and complex analysis, covering the recent achievements of the Odessa-Kharkov school, where Potapov was very active. The book appeals to a wide group of mathematicians and engineers, and much of the material can be used for advanced courses and seminars.

A comprehensive introduction to the theory of J-contractive and J-inner matrix valued functions with respect to the open upper half-plane and a number of applications of this theory. It will be of particular interest to those with an interest in operator theory and matrix analysis.

This monograph presents necessary and sufficient conditions for completeness of the linear span of eigenvectors and generalized eigenvectors of operators that admit a characteristic matrix function in a Banach space setting. Classical conditions for completeness based on the theory of entire functions are further developed for this specific class of operators. The classes of bounded operators that are investigated include trace class and Hilbert-Schmidt operators, finite rank perturbations of Volterra operators, infinite Leslie operators, discrete semi-separable operators, integral operators with semi-separable kernels, and period maps corresponding to delay differential equations. The classes of unbounded operators that are investigated appear in a natural way in the study of infinite dimensional dynamical systems such as mixed type functional differential equations, age-dependent population dynamics, and in the analysis of the Markov semigroup connected to the recently introduced zig-zag process.

A few years aga the authors started a project of a book on the theory of systems of one-dimensional singular integral equa tions which was planned as a continuation of the monograph by one of the authors and N. Ya. Krupnik ~~ concerning scalar equa tions. This set of notes was initiated as a chapter dealing with problems of factorization of matrix functions vis-a-vis appli cations to systems of singular integral equations. Working systematically onthischapter and adding along the way new points of view, new proofs and results, we finally saw that the material connected with factorizations is of independent interest and we decided to publish this chapter as aseparate volume. In fact, because of recent activity, the amount of material was quite large and we quickly learned that we cannot cover all of the results in complete detail. We have tried to include a represen tative variety of all kinds of methods, techniques,results and applications. Apart of the current work exposes results from the Russian literature which have never appeared in English translation. We have also decided to reflect some of the recent results which make interesting connections between factorization of matrix functions and systems theory. The field remains very active and many results and connec tions are still not weIl understood. These notes should be viewed as a stepping stone to further development. The authors hope that sometime they will return to complete their original plan.

A number of interpolation problems are considered in the Schur class of $p\times q$ matrix valued functions $S$ that are analytic and contractive in the open unit disk. The interpolation constraints are specified in terms of nontangential limits and angular derivatives at one or more (of a finite number of) boundary points. Necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of solutions to these problems and a description of all the solutions when these conditions are met is given.The analysis makes extensive use of a class of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces ${\mathcal{H (S)$ that was introduced by de Branges and Rovnyak. The Stein equation that is associated with the interpolation problems under consideration is analyzed in detail. A lossless inverse scattering problem isalso considered.

One of the basic interpolation problems from our point of view is the problem of building a scalar rational function if its poles and zeros with their multiplicities are given. If one assurnes that the function does not have a pole or a zero at infinity, the formula which solves this problem is (1) where Zl , " " Z/ are the given zeros with given multiplicates nl, " " n / and Wb" " W are the given p poles with given multiplicities ml, . . . ,m , and a is an arbitrary nonzero number. p An obvious necessary and sufficient condition for solvability of this simplest Interpolation pr- lern is that Zj :f: wk(1~ j ~ 1, 1~ k~ p) and nl +. . . +n/ = ml +. . . +m ' p The second problem of interpolation in which we are interested is to build a rational matrix function via its zeros which on the imaginary line has modulus 1. In the case the function is scalar, the formula which solves this problem is a Blaschke product, namely z z. )mi n u(z) = all = l~ (2) J ( Z+ Zj where [o] = 1, and the zj's are the given zeros with given multiplicities mj. Here the necessary and sufficient condition for existence of such u(z) is that zp :f: - Zq for 1~ ]1, q~ n.

This book delineates the various types of factorization problems for matrix and operator functions. The problems originate from, or are motivated by, the theory of non-selfadjoint operators, the theory of matrix polynomials, mathematical systems and control theory, the theory of Riccati equations, inversion of convolution operators, and the theory of job scheduling in operations research. The book presents a geometric principle of factorization which has its origins in the state space theory of linear input-output systems and in the theory of characteristic operator functions.

Many problems of the engineering sciences, physics, and mathematics lead to con volution equations and their various modifications. Convolution equations on a half-line can be studied by having recourse to the methods and results of the theory of Toeplitz and Wiener-Hopf operators. Convolutions by integrable kernels have continuous symbols and the Cauchy singular integral operator is the most prominent example of a convolution operator with a piecewise continuous symbol. The Fredholm theory of Toeplitz and Wiener-Hopf operators with continuous and piecewise continuous (matrix) symbols is well presented in a series of classical and recent monographs. Symbols beyond piecewise continuous symbols have discontinuities of oscillating type. Such symbols emerge very naturally. For example, difference operators are nothing but convolution operators with almost periodic symbols: the operator defined by (A