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I am trying to determine the eigenvalues of the following operator. $T:L^2[0,1] \rightarrow L^2[0,1]$, $Tf(x)=\int_0^1(2xy-x-y+1)f(y)dy$

The Eigenvalues are $\rho_p(T):=\{\lambda: \lambda-T \text{ is not injective}\}$

My approach: Let $\lambda \in \mathbb{R}$, $(\lambda-T)f(x)=\lambda f(x)- Tf(x)=\lambda f(x)-\int_0^1(2xy-x-y+1)f(y)dy$

My idea would be not to set $\lambda f(x)- Tf(x)=\lambda f(x)-\int_0^1(2xy-x-y+1)f(y)dy=a$ for $a \neq 0$ and trying to solve it for $\lambda$.

But there comes my next problem, that I don't know how to handle the Integral. Do I just set $F'=f$, and do formal calculation?

wanymose
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    Hint: $Tf(x)=ax+b$ where $a=\int_0^{1} (2y-1)f(y)dy$ and $b=\int_0^{1} (1-y)f(y)dy$. So $Tf=\lambda f$ with $\lambda \neq 0$ implies that $f(x)=cx+d$ for some constants $c$ and $d$. – geetha290krm Jun 27 '23 at 08:20

1 Answers1

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Let $\lambda$ be a non-zero eigenvalue. By definition, there exists a non-zero function $f \in L^2[0,1]$ such that $$T(f)=\lambda f$$

i.e. such that for every $x \in [0,1]$, $$\int_0^1(2xy-x-y+1)f(y)dy = \lambda f(x) $$

i.e. $$x\int_0^1(2y-1) f(y) dy + \int_0^1 (1-y)f(y)dy = \lambda f(x) \quad \quad (*)$$

so there exists $a,b \in \mathbb{R}$ such that $f(x)=ax+b$. Replacing in $(*)$, one gets $$x\int_0^1(2y-1)(ay+b) dy + \int_0^1 (1-y)(ay+b)dy = \lambda (ax+b)$$

i.e. $$x \times \dfrac{a}{6} + \dfrac{a+3b}{6} = \lambda ax+\lambda b$$

so identifying the coefficients, you get $\dfrac{a}{6}=\lambda a$ and $\dfrac{a+3b}{6}=\lambda b$, i.e. (since $a$ and $b$ cannot be zero at the same time), $\lambda = \dfrac{1}{6}$ or $\lambda=\dfrac{1}{2}$.

So the only possible eigenvalues of $T$ are $0$, $\dfrac{1}{2}$ and $\dfrac{1}{6}$. It remains to see why they are really eigenvalues.

For $0$, let $f(x)=6x^2-6x+1$ : by direct calculation, one has $Tf=0$, so $f$ is an eigenvector associated to the eigenvalue $0$.

For $1/2$, let $f(x)=1$ : by direct calculation, one has $Tf(x)=\dfrac{1}{2}=\dfrac{1}{2}f(x)$, so $f$ is an eigenvector associated to the eigenvalue $1/2$.

For $1/6$, let $f(x)=2x-1$ : by direct calculation, one has $Tf(x)=\dfrac{x}{3}-\dfrac{1}{6} = \dfrac{2x-1}{6} = \dfrac{1}{6}f(x)$, so $f$ is an eigenvector associated to the eigenvalue $1/6$.

Finally, the eigenvalues of $T$ are exactly $0$, $\dfrac{1}{2}$ and $\dfrac{1}{6}$.

TheSilverDoe
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