Birkhoff's theorem and multidimensional numerical range (Q1779214)

The author shows that, under certain conditions, Birkhoff's theorem on doubly stochastic matrices remains valid for countable families of discrete probability spaces which have nonempty intersections. Using this result, he studies the relation between the spectrum of a self-adjoint operator \(A\) and its multidimensional numerical range. Here the numerical range is defined as set \(\{(Q_Q(u_1),\dots, Q_A(u_m)):u_j\in {\mathcal D}(|A|^{1/2})\}\subset\mathbb{R}^m\), where \(Q_A\) denots the quadratic form defined by \(A\), and \(m\) is related to the multiplicities of the eigenvalues of \(A\). It turns out that the multidimensional numerical range is a convex set whose extreme points are sequences of eigenvalues of the operator \(A\). Every collection of eigenvalues which can be obtained by the Rayleigh--Ritz formula generates an extreme point of the multidimensional numerical range.