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 aims to present the theory of interpolation for rational matrix functions as a recently matured independent mathematical subject with its own problems, methods and applications. The authors decided to start working on this book during the regional CBMS conference in Lincoln, Nebraska organized by F. Gilfeather and D. Larson. The principal lecturer, J. William Helton, presented ten lectures on operator and systems theory and the interplay between them. The conference was very stimulating and helped us to decide that the time was ripe for a book on interpolation for matrix valued functions (both rational and non-rational). When the work started and the first partial draft of the book was ready it became clear that the topic is vast and that the rational case by itself with its applications is already enough material for an interesting book. In the process of writing the book, methods for the rational case were developed and refined. As a result we are now able to present the rational case as an independent theory. After two years a major part of the first draft was prepared. Then a long period of revising the original draft and introducing recently acquired results and methods followed. There followed a period of polishing and of 25 chapters and the appendix commuting at various times somewhere between Williamsburg, Blacksburg, Tel Aviv, College Park and Amsterdam (sometimes with one or two of the authors).

Thisvolumeofthe Operator Theory: Advances and Applications series (OTAA) isthe ?rst volume of a new subseries. This subseries is dedicated to connections between the theory of linear operators and the mathematical theory of linear systems and is named Linear Operators and Linear Systems (LOLS).Asthe- isting subseries Advances in Partial Di?erential Equations (ADPE), the new s- series will continue the traditions of the OTAA series and keep the high quality of the volumes. The editors of the new subseries are: Daniel Alpay (Beer–Sheva, - rael), Joseph Ball (Blacksburg, Virginia, USA) and Andr ́ ́ e Ran (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). In the last 25–30 years, Mathematical System Theory developed in an ess- tial way. A large part of this development was connected with the use of the state space method. Let us mention for instance the “theory of H control”. The state ? space method allowed to introduce in system theory the modern tools of matrix and operator theory. On the other hand the state space approach had an imp- tant impact on Algebra, Analysis and Operator Theory. In particular it allowed to solve explicitly some problems from interpolation theory, theory of convolution equations, inverse problems for canonical di?erential equations and their discrete analogs. All these directions are planned to be present in the subseries LOLS. The editors and the publisher are inviting authors to submit their manuscripts for publication in this subseries.

This volume is dedicated to Rien Kaashoek on the occasion of his 80th birthday and celebrates his many contributions to the field of operator theory during more than fifty years. In the first part of the volume, biographical information and personal accounts on the life of Rien Kaashoek are presented. Eighteen research papers by friends and colleagues of Rien Kaashoek are included in the second part. Contributions by J. Agler, Z.A. Lykova, N.J. Young, J.A. Ball, G.J. Groenewald, S. ter Horst, H. Bart, T. Ehrhardt, B. Silbermann, J.M. Bogoya, S.M. Grudsky, I.S. Malysheva, A. Böttcher, E. Wegert, Z. Zhou, Y. Eidelman, I. Haimovici, A.E. Frazho, A.C.M. Ran, B. Fritzsche, B. Kirstein, C.Madler, J. J. Jaftha, D.B. Janse van Rensburg, P. Junghanns, R. Kaiser, J. Nemcova, M. Petreczky, J.H. van Schuppen, L. Plevnik, P. Semrl, A. Sakhnovich, F.-O. Speck, S. Sremac, H.J. Woerdeman, H. Wolkowicz and N. Vasilevski.

Over the past three decades R.E. Kalman has been one of the most influential personalities in system and control theory. His ideas have been instrumental in a variety of areas. This is a Festschrift honoring his 60th birthday. It contains contributions from leading researchers in the field giving an account of the profound influence of his ideas in a number of areas of active research in system and control theory. For example, since their introduction by Kalman in the early 60's, the concepts of controllability and observability of dynamical systems with inputs, have been the corner stone of the great majority of investigations in the field.

This volume is dedicated to Bill Helton on the occasion of his sixty fifth birthday. It contains biographical material, a list of Bill's publications, a detailed survey of Bill's contributions to operator theory, optimization and control and 19 technical articles. Most of the technical articles are expository and should serve as useful introductions to many of the areas which Bill's highly original contributions have helped to shape over the last forty odd years. These include interpolation, Szegö limit theorems, Nehari problems, trace formulas, systems and control theory, convexity, matrix completion problems, linear matrix inequalities and optimization. The book should be useful to graduate students in mathematics and engineering, as well as to faculty and individuals seeking entry level introductions and references to the indicated topics. It can also serve as a supplementary text to numerous courses in pure and applied mathematics and engineering, as well as a source book for seminars.

This second edition presents a collection of exercises on the theory of analytic functions, including completed and detailed solutions. It introduces students to various applications and aspects of the theory of analytic functions not always touched on in a first course, while also addressing topics of interest to electrical engineering students (e.g., the realization of rational functions and its connections to the theory of linear systems and state space representations of such systems). It provides examples of important Hilbert spaces of analytic functions (in particular the Hardy space and the Fock space), and also includes a section reviewing essential aspects of topology, functional analysis and Lebesgue integration. Benefits of the 2nd edition Rational functions are now covered in a separate chapter. Further, the section on conformal mappings has been expanded.

This book presents 30 articles on the topic areas discussed at the 30th “International Workshop on Operator Theory and its Applications”, held in Lisbon in July 2019. The contributions include both expository essays and original research papers reflecting recent advances in the traditional IWOTA areas and emerging adjacent fields, as well as the applications of Operator Theory and Functional Analysis. The topics range from C*–algebras and Banach *–algebras, Sturm-Liouville theory, integrable systems, dilation theory, frame theory, Toeplitz, Hankel, and singular integral operators, to questions from lattice, group and matrix theories, complex analysis, harmonic analysis, and function spaces. Given its scope, the book is chiefly intended for researchers and graduate students in the areas of Operator Theory, Functional Analysis, their applications and adjacent fields.