New sufficient conditions on the weight functions u(.) and v(.) are given in order that the fractional maximal [resp. integral] operator Ms [resp. Is], 0 ≤ s < n, [resp. 0 < s < n] sends the weighted Lebesgue space Lp(v(x)dx) into Lp(u(x)dx), 1 < p < ∞. As a consequence a characterization for this estimate is obtained whenever the weight functions are radial monotone.

In [2] and [3] upper and lower estimates and asymptotic results were obtained for the approximation numbers of the operator $T:L^p\left({ℝ}^{+}\right)\to L^p\left({ℝ}^{+}\right)$ defined by $\left(Tf\right)\left(x\right)≔v\left(x\right){ʃ}_0^{\infty }u\left(t\right)f\left(t\right)dt$ when 1 < p < ∞. Analogous results are given in this paper for the cases p = 1,∞ not included in [2] and [3].

We consider the Volterra integral operator $T:L^p\left({ℝ}^{+}\right)\to L^p\left({ℝ}^{+}\right)$ defined by $\left(Tf\right)\left(x\right)=v\left(x\right){ʃ}_0^{x}u\left(t\right)f\left(t\right)dt$. Under suitable conditions on u and v, upper and lower estimates for the approximation numbers $a_n\left(T\right)$ of T are established when 1 < p < ∞. When p = 2 these yield $li{m}_{n\to \infty }n{a}_n\left(T\right)={\pi }^{-1}{ʃ}_0^{\infty }\left|u\left(t\right)v\left(t\right)\right|dt$. We also provide upper and lower estimates for the ${\ell }^{\alpha }$ and weak ${\ell }^{\alpha }$ norms of (an(T)) when 1 < α < ∞.

Necessary and sufficient conditions governing two-weight $L^p$ norm estimates for multiple Hardy and potential operators are presented. Two-weight inequalities for potentials defined on nonhomogeneous spaces are also discussed. Sketches of the proofs for most of the results are given.