Extensions of selfadjoint operators and defect of reflexivity (Q1965277)

For a bounded linear operator \(T\) on a Hilbert space \(H\) denote by \(\text{Lat} T\) the lattice of all (closed) invariant subspaces and by \(\text{AlgLat} T\) the algebra of all operators \(S\in B(H)\) which leave invariant every invariant subspace of the operator \(T\). Let \(W(T)\) denote the closure in the weak operator topology of the algebra of all polynomials in \(T\) and let \(\alpha(T)=\dim(\text{AlgLat} T/W(T))\). An operator \(T\) is said to be reflexive if \(\alpha(T)=0\). The main result of the paper is a generalization of some result obtained in [the author and \textit{B. Charles}, Linear Algebra Appl. 187, 105-108 (1993; Zbl 0777.15008)] and says the following: if \(A\) is a selfadjoint operator, \(0\) is not an eigenvalue of \(A\), and \(N\) is nilpotent, then \(\alpha(A\oplus N)=\alpha(N)\). In particular, \(A\oplus N\) is reflexive if and only if \(N\) is reflexive.