Let $T = (T_1, \ldots , T_n)$ be a commuting tuple of bounded linear operators on a Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$. The multiplicity of $T$ is the cardinality of a minimal generating set with respect to $T$. In this paper, we establish an additive formula for multiplicities of a class of commuting tuples of operators. A special case of the main result states the following: Let $n \geq 2$, and let $\mathcal{Q}_i$, $i = 1, \ldots , n$, be a proper closed shift co-invariant subspaces of the Dirichlet space or the Hardy space over the unit disc in $\mathbb {C}$. If $\mathcal{Q}_i^{\bot }$, $i = 1, \ldots , n$, is a zero-based shift invariant subspace, then the multiplicity of the joint $M_{\textbf {z}} = (M_{z_1}, \ldots , M_{z_n})$-invariant subspace $(\mathcal{Q}_1 \otimes \cdots \otimes \mathcal{Q}_n)^{\perp }$ of the Dirichlet space or the Hardy space over the unit polydisc in $\mathbb {C}^{n}$ is given by

\[ \mbox{mult}_{M_{\textbf{{z}}}|_{ (\mathcal{Q}_1 \otimes \cdots \otimes \mathcal{Q}_n)^{{\perp}}}} (\mathcal{Q}_1 \otimes \cdots \otimes \mathcal{Q}_n)^{{\perp}} = \sum_{i=1}^{n} (\mbox{mult}_{M_z|_{\mathcal{Q}_i^{{\perp}}}} (\mathcal{Q}_i^{\bot})) = n. \]

For a compact subset K of the boundary of a compact Hausdorff space X, six properties that K may have in relation to the algebra A(X) are considered. It is shown that in relation to the algebra A(Dn), where Dn denotes the n-dimensional polydisc, the property of being totally null is weaker than the other five properties. A general condition is given on the algebra A(X) which implies the existence of a totally null set that is not null, and several conditions are stated for A(X) , each of which is sufficient for a totally null set to be a null set.

It is proved that there exists a universal good inner function in the open unit polydisc Un, that is its non Euclidean translates are dense in the closed unit ball of H∞ (Un) and that there exists a universal function in the open unit ball Bn of Cn. These generalize Heins' result on universal Blaschke products.

1980 Mathematics subject classification (Amer. Math. Soc.): primary 32 A 10.

Let Un be the unit polydisc in Cn and let Tn be its distinguished boundary. It is shown that a function f ∈ H∞(Un) is inner if and only if ∣f(Φ)∣ = 1 for all Φ in the maximal ideal space of L∞(Tn). This generalizes a result of Csordas.