On root vectors of self-adjoint pencils (Q1819340)

Let \(A\) and \(C\) be compact symmetric operators on a Hilbert space \(H\), and let \(B=I+C\) be 1-1. Then the eigenvectors for the generalised eigenvalue problem \((A-\lambda B)x=0\neq x\in H\), and the associated root vectors, coincide with those of the operator \(Q=B^{-1}A\) which is selfadjoint in the Pontryagin space \(H_ B\) under the inner product given by \((x,y)_ B=(x,By)\). The main result is equivalence of (i) completeness of these root vectors in \(H\); (ii) nondegeneracy of a particular root subspace \(L\) of \(Q\) in \(H_ B;\) (iii) decomposability of \(H_ B\) into a \(Q\)-invariant orthogonal direct sum \(F\oplus_ BG\oplus_ BL\), where \(\dim F\) is finite and \(G_ B\) is a Hilbert space. Precise bounds on \(\dim F\), and various special cases and related results are given, e.g. for the case where \(A\) is selfadjoint and bounded below with compact resolvent, and \(B\) is bounded and symmetric.