Representation of kernels of integral operators by bilinear series (Q1058718)

Let T be a compact linear operator on \(L^ 2(]a,b[)\). Then, the author proves that T is unitarily equivalent to a compact linear operator S on \(L^ 2(]a,b[)\) such that its kernel has an absolutely and uniformly convergent bilinear series: \[ K(s,t)=\sum^{\infty}_{n=1}s_ n\phi_ n(s)\overline{\psi_ n(t)} \] where \(s_ n\) is a singular value of S, and \(\phi_ n\) and \(\psi_ n\) are eigenfunctions of \(SS^*\) and \(S^*S\) respectively. In the case where T is normal with spectrum lying in a sector of angle less than \(\pi\) with vertex at the origin S equals T and this is a generalization of Mercer's well-known theorem.