Integral Equations and Operator Theory

A complex number λ is an extended eigenvalue of an operator A if there is a nonzero operator X such that AX = λ XA. We characterize the set of extended eigenvalues, which we call extended point spectrum, for operators acting on finite dimensional spaces, finite rank operators, Jordan blocks, and C₀ contractions. We also describe the relationship between the extended eigenvalues of an operator A and its powers. As an application, we show that the commutant of an operator A coincides with that of Aⁿ, n ≥ 2, n ∈ N if the extended point spectrum of A does not contain any n–th root of unity other than 1. The converse is also true if either A or A^* has trivial kernel.