Sesquitransitive and Localizing Operator Algebras

An algebra of operators on a Banach space X is said to be transitive if X has no nontrivial closed subspaces invariant under every member of the algebra. In this paper we investigate a number of conditions which guarantee that a transitive algebra of operators is “large” in various senses. Among these are the conditions of algebras being localizing or sesquitransitive. An algebra is localizing if there exists a closed ball B ∌ 0 such that for every sequence (x _n ) in B there exists a subsequence and a bounded sequence (A _k ) in the algebra such that converges to a non-zero vector. An algebra is sesquitransitive if for every non-zero z ∈ X there exists C > 0 such that for every x linearly independent of z, for every non-zero y ∈ X, and every there exists A in the algebra such that and ||Az|| ≤ C||z||. We give an algebraic version of this definition as well, and extend Jacobson’s density theorem to algebraically sesquitransitive rings. The second and the third authors were supported by NSERC.     

Quasinilpotent Operators in Operator Lie Algebras

It is proved that the nilpotent Lie algebra generated by a family of decomposable operators generates an Engel- Banach algebra. We also proved that if a Lie algebra of quasinilpotent operators is essentially nilpotent, then the Banach algebra generated by this Lie algebra consists of quasinilpotent operators.     

An Inverse Spectral Problem for a Nonsymmetric Differential Operator: Uniqueness and Reconstruction Formula

We consider an eigenvalue problem for a system on [0, 1]: $$\left\{ {\begin{array}{*{20}l} {\left[ {\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} 0 & 1 \\ 1 & 0 \\ \end{array} } \right)\frac{{\text{d}}} {{{\text{d}}x}} + \left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {p_{11} (x)} & {p_{12} (x)} \\ {p_{21} (x)} & {p_{22} (x)} \\ \end{array} } \right)} \right]\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {\varphi ^{(1)} (x)} \\ {\varphi ^{(2)} (x)} \\ \end{array} } \right) = \lambda \left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {\varphi ^{(1)} (x)} \\ {\varphi ^{(1)} (x)} \\ \end{array} } \right)} \\ {\varphi ^{(2)} (0)\cosh \mu - \varphi ^{(1)} (0)\sinh \mu = \varphi ^{(2)} (1)\cosh \nu + \varphi ^{(1)} (1)\sinh \nu = 0} \\ \end{array} } \right.$$ with constants $$\mu ,\nu \in \mathbb{C}.$$ Under the assumption that p₂₁, p₂₂ are known, we prove a uniqueness theorem and provide a reconstruction formula for p₁₁ and p₁₂ from the spectral characteristics consisting of one spectrum and the associated norming constants.     

Finite Interval Convolution Operators with Transmission Property

We study convolution operators in Bessel potential spaces and (fractional) Sobolev spaces over a finite interval. The main purpose of the investigation is to find conditions on the convolution kernel or on a Fourier symbol of these operators under which the solutions inherit higher regularity from the data. We provide conditions which ensure the transmission property for the finite interval convolution operators between Bessel potential spaces and Sobolev spaces. These conditions lead to smoothness preserving properties of operators defined in the above-mentioned spaces where the kernel, cokernel and, therefore, indices do not depend on the order of differentiability. In the case of invertibility of the finite interval convolution operator, a representation of its inverse is presented in terms of the canonical factorization of a related Fourier symbol matrix function.     

Semisimplicity of Some Class of Operator Algebras on Banach Space

Let G be a locally compact abelian group and let be a representation of G by means of isometries on a Banach space. We define W_T as the closure with respect to the weak operator topology of the set where is the Fourier transform of f ∈L¹(G) with respect to the group T. Then W_T is a commutative Banach algebra. In this paper we study semisimlicity problem for such algebras. The main result is that if the Arveson spectrum sp(T) of T is scattered (i.e. it does not contain a nonempty perfect subset) then the algebra W_T is semisimple. Some related problems are also discussed.     

Operator Matrices as Generators of Cosine Operator Functions

We introduce an abstract setting that allows to discuss wave equations with time-dependent boundary conditions by means of operator matrices. We show that such problems are well-posed if and only if certain perturbations of the same problems with homogeneous, time-independent boundary conditions are well-posed. As applications we discuss two wave equations in L^p(0, 1) and in L²(Ω) equipped with dynamical and acoustic-like boundary conditions, respectively.     

Spectrum of the Kerzman-Stein Operator for the Ellipse

The skew-hermitian part of the Cauchy operator, defined with respect to arclength measure on the boundary, is known as the Kerzman-Stein operator. For an ellipse, the eigenvalues of this operator are shown to have multiplicity two. For an ellipse with small eccentricity, we compute the leading coefficient in the asymptotic expansion of the eigenvalues.     

Virtual Eigenvalues of the High Order Schrödinger Operator I

We consider the Schr?dinger operator H_γ = ( − Δ)^l + γ V(x)· acting in the space $$L_2 (\mathbb{R}^d ),$$ where 2l ≥ d, V (x) ≥ 0, V (x) is continuous and is not identically zero, and $$\lim _{|{\mathbf{x}}| \to \infty } V({\mathbf{x}}) = 0.$$ We obtain an asymptotic expansion as $$\gamma \uparrow 0$$of the bottom negative eigenvalue of H_γ, which is born at the moment γ = 0 from the lower bound λ = 0 of the spectrum σ(H₀) of the unperturbed operator H₀ = ( − Δ)^l (a virtual eigenvalue). To this end we develop a supplement to the Birman-Schwinger theory on the process of the birth of eigenvalues in the gap of the spectrum of the unperturbed operator H₀. Furthermore, we extract a finite-rank portion Φ(λ) from the Birman- Schwinger operator $$X_V (\lambda ) = V^{\frac{1} {2}} R_\lambda (H_0 )V^{\frac{1}{2}} ,$$ which yields the leading terms for the desired asymptotic expansion.     

Mixed Boundary Value Problems for the Helmholtz Equation in a Quadrant

The main objective is the study of a class of boundary value problems in weak formulation where two boundary conditions are given on the half-lines bordering the first quadrant that contain impedance data and oblique derivatives. The associated operators are reduced by matricial coupling relations to certain boundary pseudodifferential operators which can be analyzed in detail. Results are: Fredholm criteria, explicit construction of generalized inverses in Bessel potential spaces, eventually after normalization, and regularity results. Particular interest is devoted to the impedance problem and to the oblique derivative problem, as well.     

Spectral properties of the Laplacian on bond-percolation graphs

Bond-percolation graphs are random subgraphs of the d-dimensional integer lattice generated by a standard bond-percolation process. The associated graph Laplacians, subject to Dirichlet or Neumann conditions at cluster boundaries, represent bounded, self-adjoint, ergodic random operators with off-diagonal disorder. They possess almost surely the non-random spectrum [0, 4d] and a self-averaging integrated density of states. The integrated density of states is shown to exhibit Lifshits tails at both spectral edges in the non-percolating phase. While the characteristic exponent of the Lifshits tail for the Dirichlet (Neumann) Laplacian at the lower (upper) spectral edge equals d/2, and thus depends on the spatial dimension, this is not the case at the upper (lower) spectral edge,where the exponent equals 1/2.     

Jordan Structures in Harmonic Functions and Fourier Algebras on Homogeneous Spaces

We study the Jordan structures and geometry of bounded matrix-valued harmonic functions on a homogeneous space and their analogue, the harmonic functionals, in the setting of Fourier algebras of homogeneous spaces.Supported by EPSRC grant GR/G91182 and NSERC grant 7679.     

Ordered Involutive Operator Spaces

This is a companion to recent papers of the authors; here we construct the ‘noncommutative Shilov boundary’ of a (possibly nonunital) selfadjoint ordered space of Hilbert space operators. The morphisms in the universal property of the boundary preserve order. As an application, we consider ‘maximal’ and ‘minimal’ unitizations of such ordered operator spaces.     

The C*-envelope of the Tensor Algebra of a Directed Graph

Given an arbitrary countable directed graph G we prove the C*- envelope of the tensor algebra coincides with the universal Cuntz- Krieger algebra associated with G. Our approach is concrete in nature and does not rely on Hilbert module machinery. We show how our results extend to the case of higher rank graphs, where an analogous result is obtained for the tensor algebra of a row-finite k-graph with no sources.     

Pseudodifferential operators with heavy spectrum

We establish Fredholm criteria and index formulas for one-dimensional zero-order pseudodifferential operators with piecewise continuous generating functions onL ^p spaces with Muckenhoupt weights. The Fredholm symbol of such operators is shown to be a matrix function defined on a set which, roughly speaking, is a cylinder with a certain collection of horn shaped handles. The presence of these horns implies that, unlike the case ofL ^p spaces without weight or with so-called power weights, the spectrum may contain heavy parts, i. e. the set of the interior points of the spectrum need not be empty. Our proof makes essential use of recent results by Finck, Roch, Silbermann, Gohberg, and Krupnik on the inverse closedness of certain Banach algebras.Research supported by the Alfried Krupp Förderpreis für junge Hochschullehrer of the Krupp Foundation.     

Bounded Reflexivity of Operator Spaces

We introduce a concept bounded reflexivity for a subspace of operators on a normed space. We explore the properties of bounded reflexivity, study the similarities and differences between bounded reflexivity and the usual reflexivity for a subspace of operators. As applications of bounded reflexivity, we give alternative proofs of some well known results about positivity and complete positivity of elementary operators.     

Quadrature-difference methods for solving linear and nonlinear singular integro-differential equations

Here we propose and justify quadrature-difference methods for solving different kinds (linear, nonlinear and multidimensional) of periodic singular integro-differential equations.     

Spectrum of the One-dimensional Schrödinger Operator With a Periodic Potential Subjected to a Local Dilative Perturbation

We study the spectrum of the one-dimensional Schr?dinger operator with a potential, whose periodicity is violated via a local dilation. We obtain conditions under which this violation preserves the essential spectrum of the Schr?dinger operator and an infinite number of isolated eigenvalues appear in a gap of the essential spectrum. We show that the considered perturbation of the periodic potential is not relative compact in general.     

Boundary operator from matrix field formulation of boundary conditions for Friedrichs systems

Following the recent progress in understanding the abstract setting for Friedrichs symmetric positive systems by Ern, Guermond and Caplain (2007) [8], as well as Antoni? and Burazin (2010) [3], an attempt is made to relate these results to the classical Friedrichs theory.A comparison of two approaches, via the trace operator and the boundary operator, has been made, favouring the latter. Finally, a particular set of sufficient conditions for a boundary matrix field to define a boundary operator in that case is given, and the applicability of this procedure in realistic situations is shown by examples.