2.II.11F

Topics in Analysis
Part II, 2008

Let L:C([0,1])C([0,1])L: C([0,1]) \rightarrow C([0,1]) be an operator satisfying the conditions

(i) Lf0L f \geqslant 0 for any fC([0,1])f \in C([0,1]) with f0f \geqslant 0,

(ii) L(af+bg)=aLf+bLgL(a f+b g)=a L f+b L g for any f,gC([0,1])f, g \in C([0,1]) and a,bRa, b \in \mathbf{R} and

(iii) ZfZLfZ_{f} \subseteq Z_{L f} for any fC([0,1])f \in C([0,1]), where ZfZ_{f} denotes the set of zeros of ff.

Prove that there exists a function hC([0,1])h \in C([0,1]) with h0h \geqslant 0 such that Lf=hfL f=h f for every fC([0,1])f \in C([0,1]).