On the Essential Lower Bound of Elements in von Neumann Algebras

In this paper we obtain a number of interesting results on the connection that exists between the essential lower bound of an element in a von Neumann algebra and its Fredholm properties. These connections lead to an extension of a well-known perturbation theorem on Fredholm operators of index zero. Finally we obtain for special cases necessary and sufficient conditions for elements in the closure of the group of invertible elements to be essentially topological divisor of zero