Classes of tuples of commuting contractions satisfying the multivariable von Neumann inequality

We obtain a decomposition for multivariable Schur-class functions on the unit polydisk which, to a certain extent, is analogous to Agler’s decomposition for functions from the Schur–Agler class. As a consequence, we show that d-tuples of commuting strict contractions obeying an additional positivity constraint satisfy the d-variable von Neumann inequality for an arbitrary operator-valued bounded analytic function on the polydisk. Also, this decomposition yields a necessary condition for solvability of the finite data Nevanlinna– Pick interpolation problem in the Schur class on the unit polydisk. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved