The spectrum of unbounded operator matrices with non-diagonal domain (Q916983)

In his paper in Math. Z. 201, No.1, 57-68 (1989; Zbl 0672.47001), the author considered matrices \(\left( \begin{matrix} A\quad B\\ C\quad D\end{matrix} \right)\) whose entries are (non-necessarily bounded) linear operators and which yield operators \({\mathcal A}\) on the direct product \(E\times F\) of two Banach spaces, E and F. In order to be able to apply unbounded operator versions of the standard matrix rules he has assumed that the operators B, C be relatively bounded with respect to the operators A, C in the diagonal and, most essentially, that the domain of \({\mathcal A}\) be ``diagonal'', i.e., the direct product of the domains of A and D. Under such conditions he has obtained necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of \({\mathcal A}^{-1}\), its matrix form, and for the resolvent operator R(\(\lambda\),\({\mathcal A}).\) In the present paper he shows by examples that the relations obtained in the former paper don't generally hold if the domain of \({\mathcal A}\) is not diagonal in the above sense. However the formulas for the spectrum of \({\mathcal A}\) remain valid if one allows some ``virtual elements'' of the matrix \({\mathcal A}.\) This novel approach yields various type of applications, e.g. for computing the spectrum of hyperbolic systems appearing in different situations (such as control theory, quantum dynamics, continuum mechanics, etc.).