On the domain of convergence and poles of complex \(J\)-fractions (Q1266122)

In the theory of continued fractions, the following celebrated result on \(J\)-fractions (due to Stieltjes) is well known. In the determinate case, the continued fraction \[ a_0^2\over\displaystyle z-b_0-{\strut a_1^2\over\displaystyle z-b_1-{\strut a_2^2\over\displaystyle z-b_2-\cdots}} \] with \(a_n\in {\mathbb R}\backslash\{0\},\;b_n\in {\mathbb R}\) converges uniformly on compact subsets of \(\{z| \text{Im} z\not= 0\}\) to a holomorphic function. This is equivalent to the associated infinite Jacobi matrix \[ G=\left ( \begin{matrix} b_0&a_1&0&\ldots \\ a_1&b_1&a_2&\ldots \\ 0&a_2&b_2&\ldots \\ \vdots&\vdots&\vdots&\ddots\end{matrix} \right) \] defining a unique selfadjoint operator (or that the corresponding moment problem has a unique solution). Although the concept of (in)determinacy also applies to \(J\)-fractions with complex coefficients, no result in Stieltjes' vein was found up to now. The authors have succeeded in filling this gap. Let for the sequel \(\sigma(G),\;\sigma_p(G),\;\sigma_{ess}(G)\) denote the spectrum, the point spectrum and the essential spectrum of \(G\) respectively. Then the main result for \(J\)-fractions with complex coefficients is: if the determinate case holds and, moreover, \(\lim\text{Im} a_n=\lim\text{Im} b_n=0\), then 1. \(\sigma_p(G)\) consists of at most a denumerable set of isolated points in \( {\mathbb C}\backslash {\mathbb R}\), 2. The \(J\)-fraction converges uniformly on each compact subset of \( {\mathbb C}\backslash {\mathbb R}\cup \sigma_p(G))\) to a holomorphic function with poles at each point of \(\sigma_p(G)\backslash {\mathbb R}\). For real coefficients \(G\) is selfadjoint, thus \(\sigma(G)\subset {\mathbb R}\) and \(\sigma_p(G)\backslash{\mathbb R}=\emptyset\) and Stieltjes' result is recovered. An important new result, given in an elegantly written paper.