A Geometry for the Set of Split Operators

We study the set ${\mathcal{X}}$ of split operators acting in the Hilbert space ${\mathcal{H}}$ : $$\mathcal{X}=\{T\in \mathcal{B}(\mathcal{H}): N(T)\cap R(T)=\{0\} \ {\rm and} \ N(T)+R(T)=\mathcal{H}\}.$$ Inside ${\mathcal{X}}$ , we consider the set ${\mathcal{Y}}$ : $$\mathcal{Y}=\{T\in\mathcal{X}: N(T)\perp R(T)\}.$$ Several characterizations of these sets are given. For instance ${T\in\mathcal{X}}$ if and only if there exists an oblique projection ${Q}$ whose range is N(T) such that T + Q is invertible, if and only if T posseses a commuting (necessarilly unique) pseudo-inverse S (i.e. TS = ST, TST = T and STS = S). Analogous characterizations are given for ${\mathcal{Y}}$ . Two natural maps are considered: $${\bf q}:\mathcal{X} \to \mathbb{Q}:=\{{\rm oblique \ projections \ in} \, \mathcal{H} \}, \ {\bf q}(T)=P_{R(T)//N(T)}$$ and $${\bf p}:\mathcal{Y} \to \mathbb{P}:=\{{\rm orthogonal \ projections \ in} \ \mathcal{H} \}, \ {\bf p}(T)=P_{R(T)}, $$ where ${P_{R(T)//N(T)}}$ denotes the projection onto R(T) with nullspace N(T), and P _R(T) denotes the orthogonal projection onto R(T). These maps are in general non continuous, subsets of continuity are studied. For the map q these are: similarity orbits, and the subsets ${\mathcal{X}_{c_k}\subset \mathcal{X}}$ of operators with rank ${k<\infty}$ , and ${\mathcal{X}_{F_k}\subset\mathcal{X}}$ of Fredholm operators with nullity ${k<\infty}$ . For the map p there are analogous results. We show that the interior of ${\mathcal{X}}$ is ${\mathcal{X}_{F_0}\cup\mathcal{X}_{F_1}}$ , and that ${\mathcal{X}_{c_k}}$ and ${\mathcal{X}_{F_k}}$ are arc-wise connected differentiable manifolds.