Operator Theory

rii application of linear operators on a Hilbert space. We begin with a chapter on the geometry of Hilbert space and then proceed to the spectral theory of compact self adjoint operators; operational calculus is next presented as a nat ural outgrowth of the spectral theory. The second part of the text concentrates on Banach spaces and linear operators acting on these spaces. It includes, for example, the three 'basic principles of linear analysis and the Riesz Fredholm theory of compact operators. Both parts contain plenty of applications. All chapters deal exclusively with linear problems, except for the last chapter which is an introduction to the theory of nonlinear operators. In addition to the standard topics in functional anal ysis, we have presented relatively recent results which appear, for example, in Chapter VII. In general, in writ ing this book, the authors were strongly influenced by re cent developments in operator theory which affected the choice of topics, proofs and exercises. One of the main features of this book is the large number of new exercises chosen to expand the reader's com prehension of the material, and to train him or her in the use of it. In the beginning portion of the book we offer a large selection of computational exercises; later, the proportion of exercises dealing with theoretical questions increases. We have, however, omitted exercises after Chap ters V, VII and XII due to the specialized nature of the subject matter.

A one-sentence definition of operator theory could be: The study of (linear) continuous operations between topological vector spaces, these being in general (but not exclusively) Fréchet, Banach, or Hilbert spaces (or their duals). Operator theory is thus a very wide field, with numerous facets, both applied and theoretical. There are deep connections with complex analysis, functional analysis, mathematical physics, and electrical engineering, to name a few. Fascinating new applications and directions regularly appear, such as operator spaces, free probability, and applications to Clifford analysis. In our choice of the sections, we tried to reflect this diversity. This is a dynamic ongoing project, and more sections are planned, to complete the picture. We hope you enjoy the reading, and profit from this endeavor.

{\it Elements of Operatory Theory} is aimed at graduate students as well as a new generation of mathematicians and scientists who need to apply operator theory to their field. Written in a user-friendly, motivating style, fundamental topics are presented in a systematic fashion, i.e., set theory, algebraic structures, topological structures, Banach spaces, Hilbert spaces, culminating with the Spectral Theorem, one of the landmarks in the theory of operators on Hilbert spaces. The exposition is concept-driven and as much as possible avoids the formula-computational approach. Key features of this largely self-contained work include: * required background material to each chapter * fully rigorous proofs, over 300 of them, are specially tailored to the presentation and some are new * more than 100 examples and, in several cases, interesting counterexamples that demonstrate the frontiers of an important theorem * over 300 problems, many with hints * both problems and examples underscore further auxiliary results and extensions of the main theory; in this non-traditional framework, the reader is challenged and has a chance to prove the principal theorems anew This work is an excellent text for the classroom as well as a self-study resource for researchers. Prerequisites include an introduction to analysis and to functions of a complex variable, which most first-year graduate students in mathematics, engineering, or another formal science have already acquired. Measure theory and integration theory are required only for the last section of the final chapter.

Operator theory is a significant part of many important areas of modern mathematics: functional analysis, differential equations, index theory, representation theory, mathematical physics, and more. This text covers the central themes of operator theory, presented with the excellent clarity and style that readers have come to associate with Conway's writing. Early chapters introduce and review material on $C^*$-algebras, normal operators, compact operators, and non-normal operators. Some of the major topics covered are the spectral theorem, the functional calculus, and the Fredholm index. In addition, some deep connections between operator theory and analytic functions are presented. Later chapters cover more advanced topics, such as representations of $C^*$-algebras, compact perturbations, and von Neumann algebras. Major results, such as the Sz.-Nagy Dilation Theorem, the Weyl-von Neumann-Berg Theorem, and the classification of von Neumann algebras, are covered, as is a treatment of Fredholm theory. The last chapter gives an introduction to reflexive subspaces, which along with hyperreflexive spaces, are one of the more successful episodes in the modern study of asymmetric algebras. Professor Conway's authoritative treatment makes this a compelling and rigorous course text, suitable for graduate students who have had a standard course in functional analysis.

This book presents 30 articles on the topic areas discussed at the 30th “International Workshop on Operator Theory and its Applications”, held in Lisbon in July 2019. The contributions include both expository essays and original research papers reflecting recent advances in the traditional IWOTA areas and emerging adjacent fields, as well as the applications of Operator Theory and Functional Analysis. The topics range from C*–algebras and Banach *–algebras, Sturm-Liouville theory, integrable systems, dilation theory, frame theory, Toeplitz, Hankel, and singular integral operators, to questions from lattice, group and matrix theories, complex analysis, harmonic analysis, and function spaces. Given its scope, the book is chiefly intended for researchers and graduate students in the areas of Operator Theory, Functional Analysis, their applications and adjacent fields.

Mathematics for infinite dimensional objects is becoming more and more important today both in theory and application. Rings of operators, renamed von Neumann algebras by J. Dixmier, were first introduced by J. von Neumann fifty years ago, 1929, in [254] with his grand aim of giving a sound founda tion to mathematical sciences of infinite nature. J. von Neumann and his collaborator F. J. Murray laid down the foundation for this new field of mathematics, operator algebras, in a series of papers, [240], [241], [242], [257] and [259], during the period of the 1930s and early in the 1940s. In the introduction to this series of investigations, they stated Their solution 1 {to the problems of understanding rings of operators) seems to be essential for the further advance of abstract operator theory in Hilbert space under several aspects. First, the formal calculus with operator-rings leads to them. Second, our attempts to generalize the theory of unitary group-representations essentially beyond their classical frame have always been blocked by the unsolved questions connected with these problems. Third, various aspects of the quantum mechanical formalism suggest strongly the elucidation of this subject. Fourth, the knowledge obtained in these investigations gives an approach to a class of abstract algebras without a finite basis, which seems to differ essentially from all types hitherto investigated. Since then there has appeared a large volume of literature, and a great deal of progress has been achieved by many mathematicians.

This book consists of invited survey articles and research papers in the scientific areas of the “International Workshop on Operator Algebras, Operator Theory and Applications,” which was held in Lisbon in July 2016. Reflecting recent developments in the field of algebras of operators, operator theory and matrix theory, it particularly focuses on groupoid algebras and Fredholm conditions, algebras of approximation sequences, C* algebras of convolution type operators, index theorems, spectrum and numerical range of operators, extreme supercharacters of infinite groups, quantum dynamics and operator algebras, and inverse eigenvalue problems. Establishing bridges between the three related areas of operator algebras, operator theory, and matrix theory, the book is aimed at researchers and graduate students who use results from these areas.

This book constitutes a first- or second-year graduate course in operator theory. It is a field that has great importance for other areas of mathematics and physics, such as algebraic topology, differential geometry, and quantum mechanics. It assumes a basic knowledge in functional analysis but no prior acquaintance with operator theory is required.