Spectral shift via ``lateral'' perturbation (Q2120163)

Summary: We consider a compact perturbation \(H_0 = S + K_0^\ast K_0\) of a self-adjoint operator \(S\) with an eigenvalue \(\lambda^\circ\) below its essential spectrum and the corresponding eigenfunction \(f\). The perturbation is assumed to be ``along'' the eigenfunction \(f\), namely \(K_0f=0\). The eigenvalue \(\lambda^\circ\) belongs to the spectra of both \(H_0\) and \(S\). Let \(S\) have \(\sigma\) more eigenvalues below \(\lambda^\circ\) than \(H_0; \sigma\) is known as the spectral shift at \(\lambda^\circ \). We now allow the perturbation to vary in a suitable operator space and study the continuation of the eigenvalue \(\lambda^\circ\) in the spectrum of \(H(K)=S + K^\ast K\). We show that the eigenvalue as a function of \(K\) has a critical point at \(K=K_0\) and the Morse index of this critical point is the spectral shift \(\sigma \). A~version of this theorem also holds for some non-positive perturbations.