Resumen: We discuss when an operator T, subject to a rather general inequality in hereditary form, admits a unitarily equivalent functional model of Agler type in the reproducing kernel Hilbert space associated to the inequality. The kernel need not be of Nevanlinna-Pick type. We define a defect operator D in our context and discuss the structure of the spectrum of T when D is of finite rank. As a second application, some consequences concerning the ergodic behavior of the operator T are derived. Idioma: Inglés DOI: 10.1016/j.jmaa.2021.124984 Año: 2021 Publicado en: JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS AND APPLICATIONS 498, 2 (2021), 124984 [39 pp] ISSN: 0022-247X Originalmente disponible en: Texto completo de la revista