Graphs of operators as points in the Grassmann manifold

Abstract

We study the set $\Gamma$ of graphs of closed, densely defined operators in a Hilbert space $H$, regarded as a subset of the Grassmann manifold $P(H\times H)$ of orthogonal projections in $H\times H$. We show that the subset ${\Gamma }^b$ of graphs of bounded operators is the open unit ball of $P(H\times H)$ centered at the graph of the zero operator $P_0$ (which projects onto $H\times \{0\}$). This ball is diffeomorphic to $B(H)$ via the map $T\mapsto P_T$ ($=$ the projection onto the graph $Gr(T)$ of $T$). We show that graphs of unbounded closed operators lie at the boundary of $\Gamma$. We also study the existence and characteristics of minimal geodesics of $P(H\times H)$ joining two graphs $Gr(A)$, $Gr(B)$. If $A,B$ are selfadjoint, such a geodesic always exists, and we construct explicitly a distinguished exponent using the five-space decomposition associated to the pair of subspaces $Gr(A)$, $Gr(B)$. An explicit low-dimensional example shows that the geodesic joining two graphs need not remain inside $\Gamma$, i.e., does not consist entirely of graphs. We also relate graphs of compact operators to the restricted Grassmannian, and study the problem of common complements for pairs $Gr(S)$, $Gr(T)$, giving positive results when one operator is bounded or under lower boundedness conditions.