Spectral order for unbounded operators (Q764946)

Two selfadjoint operators \(A_1\) and \(A_2\) on a Hilbert space \(H\) are in the relation \(A\preccurlyeq A_2\) if and only if \(E_{A_2}((-\infty,x) \leq E_{A_1}((-\infty,x)\) for all \(x\in\mathbb R\), where \(E_{A_1}\) and \(E_{A_2}\) are the spectral resolutions of \(A_1\) and \(A_2\). The aim of the paper is to investigate the partial order \(\preccurlyeq\) in the set of (unbounded) selfadjoint operators. The authors show that \(A_1\preccurlyeq A_2\) if and only if \(f(A_1)\preccurlyeq f(A_2)\) for every bounded monotonically increasing function. Moreover, if \(A_1\) and \(A_2\) are semibounded from below, then \(\mathcal D(A_2)\subset \mathcal D(A_1)\). If \(A_1\) and \(A_2\) are positive, then \(A_1\preccurlyeq A_2\) is equivalent to \(A_1^n \leq A_2^n\) for all \(n\in\mathbb N\). Relations between the resolvents and semigroups generated by positive selfadjoint operators are proved. The paper contains many illustrating examples.