Let $H \in (0, 1)$, $D \in \mathbb{R}$ and assume that the following function $$ r ( t, s ) = \frac{1}{2} \, \Big[ t^{2H} + s^{2H} - | t - s |^{2H} \Big] + D \, t^H s^H, \quad t, \, s \geq 0 $$ is positive definite. Then, clearly $D \geq -1$, since otherwise $r(t, t)$ is negative. It is also clear that if $D \geq 0$, then this is a covariance of $B_H (t) + \sqrt{D} \, t^H \, \xi$, where $\xi$ is independent of $B_H$ standard normal rv. Hence, $r$ is again positive definite. **Question:** can $D \in (-1,0)$? --- May be related to https://mathoverflow.net/q/44528/496689, but I didn't find the connection. --- **Update.** If $r$ is to be positive definite, it has to satisfy in particular $$ g(t)= \det \begin{pmatrix} r ( t, t ) & r ( t, t + 1 ) \\ r ( t, t + 1 ) & r ( t+1, t+1) \end{pmatrix} \geq 0. $$ Expanding this function near $t = 0$, we obtain $$ g ( t ) \sim ( 1 + 2 D ) \, t^{2H} - D \, t^{3H} -2D \, t^{H+1}. $$ Hence, $D$ has to satisfy $D \geq -1/2$.