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Suppose $T_{k}$ is a collection of bounded operators on a Hilbert space $H$, with $\lVert T_{k} \rVert \leq 1$ for all $k$. Suppose also that

$$T_{k}T^{*}_{j}=T^{*}_{k}T_{j}=0$$

for all $k$ not equal to $j$. Let $S_{N}= \sum_{k=-N}^{N} T_{k}$.

Show that $S_{N}(f)$ converges as $N \rightarrow \infty$ for every $f$ in $H$. If $T(f)$ denotes the limit, prove that $\lVert T \rVert \leq 1$.

Now, what I've done is that I tried to show $S_{N}$ is a Cauchy sequence and since the space of operators is complete in metric, we would get the convergence. I set the difference between $S_{N}$ and $S_{M}$ and then used the Cauchy Schwarz and at the end I got the difference is less than or equal to $(N-M)\lVert f \rVert$ which does not show that $S_{N}$ is Cauchy. So, I suppose my approach won't work. I also don't know how to get an start on the last part of the problem.

Tim
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    Hint: $T_k^T_j = 0$ means that the range of $T_j$ is contained in the kernel of $T_k^$, which is the orthogonal complement of the range of $T_k$, i.e., the ranges of the operators are mutually orthogonal to each other. Similarly, the orthogonal complements of their kernels are orthogonal to each other. Hence, the sum in $S_N$ can be regarded as a direct sum. (Generally speaking, $S_N$ in your question would not be Cauchy in norm. You would only have $S_N(f) \rightarrow T(f)$ for all $f$, but you won’t have $S_N \rightarrow T$ in norm.) – David Gao Oct 28 '23 at 07:25
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    sounds pretty false. Also, your first condition should be only for $k\neq j$. – peek-a-boo Oct 28 '23 at 07:31
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    @geetha290krm Let the orthogonal complement of the kernel of $T_k$ be $H_k$. Then write $f = \sum f_k$ with $f_k \in H_k$. (There might be an extra residual term orthogonal to all $H_k$, but it doesn’t matter for later arguments.) Then $T_k(f) = T_k(f_k)$. The ranges of $T_k$ are orthogonal to each other, so $S_N(f) = \sum_{k = -N}^N T_k(f_k)$ has norm square $\sum_{k = -N}^N ||T_k(f_k)||^2 \leq \sum_{k = -N}^N ||f_k||^2 \leq ||f||^2$. This, in particular, tells you $S_N$ has norm bounded by 1. (It’s pretty easy to prove the convergence similarly.) – David Gao Oct 28 '23 at 07:39
  • I don't understand how this shows the convergence of $S_{N}$. Could you please elaborate a bit more? I do not even see how it is bounded by one. @DavidGao – Tim Oct 29 '23 at 08:21

1 Answers1

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Per request, here is a more detailed answer:

We first note that, for any bounded operator $T$, the kernel of $T^*$ is the orthogonal complement of the range of $T$. Indeed, $x \in \mathrm{ker}(T^*)$ iff $T^*(x) = 0$, iff $\langle T^*(x), y \rangle = 0, \forall y$, iff $\langle x, T(y) \rangle = 0, \forall y$, iff $x \perp \mathrm{range}(T)$. Now, $T_k^*T_j = 0$ implies $\mathrm{range}(T_j) \subseteq \mathrm{ker}(T_k^*) = \mathrm{range}(T_k)^\perp$, so the ranges of $T_k$ are orthogonal to each other.

Let $H_k = \mathrm{ker}(T_k)^\perp = \overline{\mathrm{range}(T_k^*)}$. Since $T_kT_j^* = 0$, we have $\mathrm{range}(T_j^*) \subseteq \mathrm{ker}(T_k) = \mathrm{range}(T_k^*)^\perp$. Taking closures, we see that $H_k = \overline{\mathrm{range}(T_k^*)}$ are orthogonal to each other. Hence, we may write $H$ as an orthogonal direct sum $H = (\oplus_k H_k) \oplus H'$, where $H'$ is orthogonal to all $H_k$. For any $f \in H$, we may then write $f = \sum_k f_k + f'$ where $f_k \in H_k$, $f' \in H'$. Observe that, for any fixed $k$, for $j \neq k$, $f_j \in H_j \subseteq H_k^\perp = (\mathrm{ker}(T_k)^\perp)^\perp = \mathrm{ker}(T_k)$, so $T_k(f_j) = 0$. Similarly, $T_k(f') = 0$. This implies that $T_k(f) = T_k(f_k)$.

Now, we have $S_N(f) = \sum_{k = -N}^N T_k(f) = \sum_{k = -N}^N T_k(f_k)$. As we have observed, the ranges of $T_k$ are orthogonal to each other, so $||S_N(f)||^2 = \sum_{k = -N}^N ||T_k(f_k)||^2$. Since $||T_k|| \leq 1$ for all $k$, we have $||S_N(f)||^2 \leq \sum_{k = -N}^N ||f_k||^2$. Note that terms in $f = \sum_k f_k + f'$ are orthogonal to each other, so $||f||^2 = \sum_k ||f_k||^2 + ||f'||^2 \geq \sum_{k = -N}^N ||f_k||^2$. Thus, $||S_N(f)||^2 \leq ||f||^2$. As this holds for all $f$, $||S_N|| \leq 1$. (This will be useful later in showing $||T|| \leq 1$.)

We now show that $S_N(f)$ is Cauchy. Indeed, assume $N > M$, then,

$$||S_N(f) - S_M(f)||^2 = \sum_{k = -N}^{-M - 1} ||T_k(f_k)||^2 + \sum_{k = M + 1}^N ||T_k(f_k)||^2 \leq \sum_{k = -\infty}^{-M - 1} ||T_k(f_k)||^2 + \sum_{k = M + 1}^{\infty} ||T_k(f_k)||^2 \leq \sum_{k = -\infty}^{-M - 1} ||f_k||^2 + \sum_{k = M + 1}^{\infty} ||f_k||^2$$

Observe that $\sum_k ||f_k||^2 \leq ||f||^2 < \infty$. Thus, for any $\epsilon > 0$, for large enough $M$, $\sum_{k = -\infty}^{-M - 1} ||f_k||^2 + \sum_{k = M + 1}^{\infty} ||f_k||^2 < \epsilon$, whence $||S_N(f) - S_M(f)||^2 < \epsilon$. Thus, $S_N(f)$ is a Cauchy sequence, so it converges to some element of $H$, which we shall denote by $T(f)$. Since $S_N$ are all linear, properties of limits easily imply that $T$ is a linear operator. Since $||S_N|| \leq 1$, $||S_N(f)|| \leq ||f||$, so $||T(f)|| = \lim_{N \rightarrow \infty} ||S_N(f)|| \leq ||f||$, that is, $||T|| \leq 1$.


The following is an example which you might find illuminating. It also demonstrates that $S_N$ might not converge in the norm topology. Consider $H = l^2(\mathbb{Z})$. Let $T_k$ be the rank one orthogonal projection onto the space spanned by the standard basis vector $e_k$. Then $S_N$ is the orthogonal projection onto $\mathrm{span}(e_{-N}, \cdots e_N)$. From this you can check that $||S_N - S_M|| = 1$ whenever $N \neq M$, so $S_N$ does not converge in the norm topology. But for any fixed $f$, $S_N(f)$ does converge. In fact, the sequence converges to $f$ itself, so $T$, as we constructed, is simply the identity operator.

David Gao
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  • @john This is a very detailed answer. If you are happy with this answer, you should consider approving it so that your question won't remain an unanswered question. – geetha290krm Oct 30 '23 at 07:20
  • This is a very detailed answer. Thank you very much @DavidGao – Tim Oct 30 '23 at 22:21