Similarity invariants of operators on a class of Gowers-Maurey spaces (Q365828)

In this paper, the authors prove, among other things, the following results. 1. Let \(X\) be an infinite dimensional Banach space such that every bounded operator on \(X\) has the spectrum disconnected unless it is a point set. Let \(T_1, T_2\) be strongly irreducible operators on \(X\) and \(T\) be their direct sum. Then \(T_1\) is similar to \(T_2\) if and only if the \(K_0\)-group \(K_0(A'(T))\) of the commutant Banach algebra \(A'(T)\), generated by bounded operators on \(X\) that commute with \(T\), is isomorphic to \(\mathbb Z\). The proof uses the fact deduced by them that the spectrum of a strongly irreducible operator on \(X\) is a point set. 2. Using the same notation as above, let \(T_1, T_2\) be bounded operators on \(X\), written as finite direct sums of mutually non-similar, strongly irreducible operators on subspaces of \(X\). Then \(T_1\) is similar to \(T_2\) if and only if the \(K_0\)-group \(K_0(A'(T))\) is isomorphic to \(\mathbb Z^k\) as an ordered group (as well as its semigroup is isomorphic to \(\mathbb N^k\)), where \(k\) means the number of direct summands of \(T_1\), which coincides with that of \(T_2\). 3. It also follows that, if a bounded operator \(S\) on \(X\) is similar to a finite direct sum of mutually non-similar, strongly irreducible operators on subspaces of \(X\), then this decomposition of \(S\) is unique up to similarity.