Let $\varphi$ be a function in the Hardy space $H^2(\mathbb{ T}^d)$. The associated (small) Hankel operator $\mathbf{ H}_\varphi$ is said to have minimal norm if the general lower norm bound $\|\mathbf{ H}_\varphi\| \geq \|\varphi\|_{ H^2(\mathbb{ T}^d)}$ is attained. Minimal norm Hankel operators are natural extremal candidates for the Nehari problem. If $d=1$, then $\mathbf{ H}_\varphi$ has minimal norm if and only if $\varphi$ is a constant multiple of an inner function. Constant multiples of inner functions generate minimal norm Hankel operators also when $d\geq2$, but in this case there are other possibilities as well. We investigate two different classes of symbols generating minimal norm Hankel operators and obtain two different refinements of a counter-example due to Ortega-Cerd\`{ a} and Seip.
Categories: math.FA math.CV