Finite rank perturbations in Pontryagin spaces and a Sturm-Liouville problem with \(\lambda\)-rational boundary conditions (Q1626068)

A classical result for two Hilbert space selfadjoint operators states that, if the ranges of the resolvents differ by a finite dimension $n$ and if there exists an interval $\Delta$ in a gap of the essential spectrum of one of the operators with finitely many eigenvalues, then the ranges of the two spectral projections corresponding to $\Delta$ differ in dimension by at most $n$. This bound is sharp. \par For this result, the selfadjointness of the two operators is essential. There exists very simple matrix examples for non-symmetric matrices where even a one-dimensional perturbation can produce great changes in the distribution of eigenvalues. \par However, in a~Pontryagin space $\Pi_\kappa$ there exists also the notion of selfadjointness. In a~Pontryagin space setting, this is, of course, understood with respect to an inner product, which allows a decomposition of the space into a Hilbert space and a $\kappa$-dimensional anti-Hilbert space. Moreover, a selfadjoint operator in a Pontryagin space allows the construction of a spectral function. Hence it is natural to ask whether the above mentioned result from Hilbert space theory still holds. \par The authors are able to provide a (sharp) answer to this question in a very natural and satisfactory way: Let two selfadjoint operators in a Pontryagin space $\Pi_\kappa$ be given with resolvent difference of the ranges of dimension $n$ and an interval $\Delta$ in a gap of the essential spectrum of one of the operators with finitely many eigenvalues. Then the ranges of the two spectral projections corresponding to $\Delta$ differ at most by $n+2\kappa$. Moreover, the authors construct an example which shows that this bound is sharp and give an application to a Sturm-Liouville problem with $\lambda$-rational boundary conditions. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1388.46001].