Loewner’s theorem for kernels having a finite number of negative squares

Abstract

By a theorem of Loewner, a continuously differentiable real-valued function on a real interval whose difference quotient is a nonnegative kernel is the restriction of a holomorphic function which has nonnegative imaginary part in the upper half-plane and is holomorphic across the interval. An analogous result is obtained when the difference-quotient kernel has a finite number of negative squares.