On the existence of certain semi-bounded self-adjoint operators in Hilbert space (Q1089889)

The main result of the paper: Let H be a Hilbert space, \(H_ 0\) a dense set in H and b(x): \(H_ 0\to H\). If for all points of \(K_ 0=\{finite\) combinations \(\sum c_ ix_ i\), \(x_ i\in H_ 0\}\) (the linear span of \(H_ 0)\) \[ \| c_ ix_ i\|^ 2\leq (\sum c_ ib(x_ i),\quad \sum c_ ix_ i) \] then there exist a self-adjoint operator B, such that \(B\geq 1\) and \(Bx=b(x)\) for \(x\in H_ 0.\) Reviewer's note: The result and its proof is closely related to the Lax- Milgram lemma [see e.g. \textit{J. L. Lions}: Equations differentielles operationnelles et problèmes aux limites. (1961; Zbl 0098.311), Chap. II.1]: observe that \((\sum c_ ib(x_ i)\), \(\sum d_ jy_ j)\) depend only on \(\sum c_ ix_ i\) and \(\sum d_ jy_ j\) and not on the particular decomposition and then gives a scalar product on \(K_ 0\).