A proof of Hartman's theorem on compact Hankel operators

Abstract

Let U be a unilateral shift of arbitrary (perhaps uncountable) multiplicity on a Hilbert space. Following Rosenblum (5), an operator A is said to be a Hankel operator relative to U ifHartman (2) has characterized the compact Hankel operators relative to the unilateral shift of multiplicity one as the Hankel operators with symbol in H∞ + C(T). Using the usual function space model for representing the unilateral shift, Page ((4), theorem 10) has extended Hartman's theorem to unilateral shifts of countable multiplicity. We give a model-free proof of Hartman's theorem which applies to shifts of arbitrary multiplicity. The proof turns on the observation that a compact operator acts compactly on a certain algebra of operators.