Trajectory spaces, generalized functions and unbounded operators (Q1090895)

This book presents recent work due to the authors. Its purpose is to construct dual couples (S,T) of locally convex topological vector spaces S and T as in the case that S is a space of test functions and \(T=S'\) (dual of S) is the corresponding space of generalized functions. Its method relies on operator theory in Hilbert spaces. Let A be a nonnegative self-adjoint (unbounded) operator in a separable Hilbert space X. For every \(t>0\), the operator \(e^{-tA}\) is bounded with dense range \(X_ t=e^{-tA}(X)\) and inverse \(e^{tA}\). \(X_ t\) gets its own Hilbert space structure such that the one-to-one mapping \(e^{-tA}:\) \(X\to X_ t\) be unitary. Let \(S_{X,A}\) be the union of the spaces \(X_ t\), \(t>0\), equipped with the inductive limit topology induced by the Hilbert spaces \(X_ t\). \(S_{X,A}\) is called the analyticitity space. A trajectory of the semigroup \((e^{-tA})_{t>0}\) is a mapping F: (0,\(\infty)\to X\) such that \(F(t+s)=e^{-sA}F(t)\), s, \(t>0\). For all \(t>0\), \(F(t)\in S_{X,A}\). The trajectory space \(T_{X,A}\) is the sense of all such F equipped with the locally convex topology induced by the family of norms \(\| F(t)\|_ X\), \(t>0\). An element x of X is identified with the trajectory \(t\mapsto e^{-tA}x\); so one gets an embedding \(X\subset T_{X,A}\), X dense subspace of \(T_{X,A}\). Given \(u\in S_{X,A}\) and \(F\in T_{X,A}\) the inner product \((e^{tA}u\), F(t)) in X does not depend on \(t>0\) (t small enough so that \(u\in e^{- tA}X)\). The sesquilinear form \(<u,F>=(e^{tA}u\), F(t)) is a pairing: each one of the spaces \(S_{X,A}\) and \(T_{X,A}\) may be identified with the dual of the other. \(S_{X,A}\subset X\subset T_{X,A}\) is called a Gelfand triple. Chapters 1, 3 and 4 present the functional analytic theory of such triples: linear topological properties, continuous linear mappings, nuclearity, tensor products, kernel theorems, operator algebras. In Chapter 2 some classical examples of Gelfand triples are discussed: here X is an \(L^ 2\)-space and A a differential operator. Chapter 5 gives a mathematical interpretation of Dirac's formalism in quantum mechanics. Bra and ket vectors are considered as elements of suitable trajectory spaces. A more detailed exposition of that matter may be found in the book ''A mathematical introduction to Dirac's formalism'' by the same authors [North-Holland Math. Library, 36, (1986; review below)].