Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 December 2014
Let $(X,d,{\it\mu})$ be a metric measure space satisfying the doubling, reverse doubling and noncollapsing conditions. Let $\mathscr{L}$ be a nonnegative self-adjoint operator on $L^{2}(X,d{\it\mu})$ satisfying a pointwise Gaussian upper bound estimate and Hölder continuity for its heat kernel. In this paper, we introduce the Hardy spaces $H_{\mathscr{L}}^{p}(X)$, $0<p\leq 1$, associated to $\mathscr{L}$ in terms of grand maximal functions and show that these spaces are equivalently characterised by radial and nontangential maximal functions.