Fixed-Copy Exponent Sets and Strict Singularity of Composition Operators Between Hardy Spaces
For a bounded operator \(T\) between Banach spaces, we introduce the \emph{fixed-copy exponent sets} \[ \begin{aligned} \operatorname{Fix}_{\ell}(T) &:= \{r\ge1:T\text{ fixes a copy of }\ell^r\},\\ \operatorname{Fix}_{L}(T) &:= \{r\ge1:T\text{ fixes a copy of }L^r(0,1)\}. \end{aligned} \] For \(1\le p,q<\infty\), we completely determine both sets for every bounded composition operator \(C_\varphi:H^p\to H^q\). In particular, \(C_\varphi\) is strictly singular if and only if \(\operatorname{Fix}_{\ell}(C_\varphi)=\varnothing\). The classification also gives complete characterizations of the \(\ell^r\)-singular and \(L^r(0,1)\)-singular subclasses for every \(r\ge1\). As a further consequence, it completely resolves Problems~4.3\textup{(1)} and~4.3\textup{(2)} posed by Laitila, Nieminen, Saksman, and Tylli. The proofs introduce a new localization method for producing fixed copies from boundary lower estimates. Its main ingredient is a localization theorem independent of composition operators: for every measurable \(E\subset\mathbb T\) with \(m(E)>0\) and \(1\le p<r\le2\), it constructs a single copy of \(L^r(0,1)\) in \(H^p\) on which lower \(L^s(E)\) estimates hold simultaneously for all \(1\le s\le p\), with constants depending on \(E\) only through \(m(E)\). The classification combines this method with pullback measure criteria, known fixed-copy results, and classical subspace restrictions. For \(r<2\), the localization theorem is proved using stable integrals and analytic lifting; the endpoint \(r=2\) is handled by an \(E\)-adapted lacunary construction.