Normal Spectrum of a Subnormal Operator

Abstract

Let H be a separable Hilbert space over the complex field. The class

S := {N|M : N is normal on H and M is an invariant subspace for Ng of subnormal operators. This notion was introduced by Halmos. The minimal normal extension Ň of a subnormal operator S was introduced by σ (S) and then Bram proved that Halmos. Halmos proved that σ(Ň) (S) is obtained by filling certain number of holes in the spectrum (Ň) of the minimal normal extension Ň of a subnormal operator S. Let σ (S) := σ (Ň) be the spectrum of the minimal normal extension Ň of S; which is called the normal spectrum of a subnormal operator S: This notion is due to Abrahamse and Douglas. We give several well-known characterization of subnormality. Let C* (S1) and C* (S2) be the C*- algebras generated by S1 and S2 respectively, where S1 and S2 are bounded operators on H: Next we give a characterization for subnormality which is purely C - algebraic. We also establish an intrinsic characterization of the normal spectrum for a subnormal operator, which enables us to answer the fol-lowing two questions. Let II be a *- representation from C* (S1) onto C* (S2) such that II(S1) = S2. If S1 is subnormal, then does it follow that S2 is subnormal? What is the relation between σ (S1) and σ (S2)? The first question was asked by Bram and second was asked by Abrahamse and Douglas. Answers to these questions were given by Bunce and Deddens.