Common invariant subspaces for collections of operators

Let be a collection of bounded operators on a Banach spaceX of dimension at least two. We say that is finitely quasinilpotent at a vectorx ₀X whenever for any finite subset of the joint spectral radius of atx ₀ is equal 0. If such collection contains a non-zero compact operator, then and its commutant have a common non-trivial invariant, subspace. If in addition, is a collection of positive operators on a Banach lattice, then has a common non-trivial closed ideal. This result and a recent remarkable theorem of Turovskii imply the following extension of the famous result of de Pagter to semigroups. Let be a multiplicative semigroup of quasinilpotent compact positive operators on a Banach lattice of dimension at least two. Then has a common non-trivial invariant closed ideal.This work was supported by the Research Ministry of Slovenia.