Continuity properties of Markov semigroups and their restrictions to invariant L 1-spaces

Abstract

We consider Markov semigroups on the cone of positive finite measures on a complete separable metric space. Such a semigroup extends to a semigroup of linear operators on the vector space of measures that typically fails to be strongly continuous for the total variation norm. First we characterise when the restriction of a Markov semigroup to an invariant L 1-space is strongly continuous. Aided by this result we provide several characterisations of the subspace of strong continuity for the total variation norm. We prove that this subspace is a projection band in the Banach lattice of finite measures, and consequently obtain a direct sum decomposition.