B4.7

Hilbert Spaces
Part II, 2002

Throughout this question, HH is an infinite-dimensional, separable Hilbert space. You may use, without proof, any theorems about compact operators that you require.

Define a Fredholm operator TT, on a Hilbert space HH, and define the index of TT.

(i) Prove that if TT is Fredholm then imT\operatorname{im} T is closed.

(ii) Let FB(H)F \in \mathcal{B}(H) and let FF have finite rank. Prove that FF^{*} also has finite rank.

(iii) Let T=I+FT=I+F, where II is the identity operator on HH and FF has finite rank; let E=imF+imFE=\operatorname{im} F+\operatorname{im} F^{*}. By considering TET \mid E and TET \mid E^{\perp} (or otherwise) prove that TT is Fredholm with ind T=0T=0.

(iv) Let TB(H)T \in \mathcal{B}(H) be Fredholm with ind T=0T=0. Prove that T=A+FT=A+F, where AA is invertible and FF has finite rank.

[You may wish to note that TT effects an isomorphism from (kerT)(\operatorname{ker} T)^{\perp} onto imT\operatorname{im} T; also ker TT and (imT)(\operatorname{im} T)^{\perp} have the same finite dimension.]

(v) Deduce from (iii) and (iv) that TB(H)T \in \mathcal{B}(H) is Fredholm with ind T=0T=0 if and only if T=A+KT=A+K with AA invertible and KK compact.

(vi) Explain briefly, by considering suitable shift operators on 2\ell^{2} (i.e. not using any theorems about Fredholm operators) that, for each kZk \in \mathbb{Z}, there is a Fredholm operator SS on HH with ind S=kS=k.