Gauge theorems for resolvents with application to Markov processes

Summary LetV=(V)0 be a (not necessarily sub-Markovian) resolvent such that the kernelV for some 0 is compact and irreducible. We prove the following general gauge theorem: If there exists at least oneV-excessive function which is notV-inviriant, thenV₀ is bounded.This result will be applied to resolventsU^M arising from perturbation of sub-Markovian right resolventsU by multiplicative functionalsM (not necessarily supermartingale), for instance, by Feynman-Kac functionals. Among others, this leads to an extension of the gauge theorem of Chung/Rao and even of one direction of the conditional gauge theorem of Falkner and Zhao.