An algebra structure for reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces

Abstract Reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHSs) are Hilbert spaces of functions where pointwise evaluation is continuous. There are known examples of RKHSs that are Banach algebras under pointwise multiplication. These examples are built from weights on the dual of a locally compact abelian group. In this paper we define an algebra structure on an RKHS that is equivalent to subconvolutivity of the weight for known examples (referred to as reproducing kernel Hilbert algebras, or RKHAs). We show that the class of RKHAs is closed under the Hilbert space tensor product and the pullback construction on the category of RKHSs. The subcategory of RKHAs becomes a monoidal category with the spectrum as a monoidal functor to the category of topological spaces. The image of this functor is shown to contain all compact subspaces of $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> </mml:msup> </mml:math> for $$n&gt;0$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mo>&gt;</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> .