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32 votes
11 answers
23k views

A book for problems in Functional Analysis

I want to know if there's any book that categorizes problems by subjects of Functional Analysis. I'm studying Functional Analysis now a days and I really need to solve some problems in order to ...
32 votes
6 answers
3k views

Can distribution theory be developed Riemann-free?

I imagine most people who frequent MO have been indoctrinated into the point of view that the Riemann integral can be safely discarded once one has taken the time to develop the Lebesgue integral. ...
Paul Siegel's user avatar
  • 29.2k
32 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why are there so many fractional derivatives?

I have been interested in fractional calculus for some time now, and I have seen "lots" of definitions of the $\frac {d^\alpha} {dx^\alpha}$ operator. I started with the book The Fractional Calculus ...
FusRoDah's user avatar
  • 3,738
32 votes
2 answers
4k views

Are there non-reflexive vector spaces isomorphic to their bi-dual?

Let $V$ be an infinite dimensional topological vector space and consider the natural application $\iota\colon V\to V^{**}$. The space $V$ is said to be reflexive if $\iota$ is an isomorphism. Are ...
diverietti's user avatar
  • 7,902
31 votes
7 answers
4k views

Intuition for failure of Implicit Function theorem on Frechet Manifolds

When dealing with moduli spaces of, say connections or metrics, I am using the notions of Frechet spaces/manifolds/groups. I have become familiar with Banach manifolds (I think), but Frechet manifolds ...
Chris Gerig's user avatar
  • 17.5k
31 votes
2 answers
3k views

Is a normed space which is homeomorphic to a Banach space complete?

I have a normed space $(E,||\cdot||)$ which is homeomorphic (as a topological space) to a Banach space $F$. Does this imply that $(E,||\cdot||)$ is also a Banach space? I think I read something ...
Neslihan's user avatar
  • 495
31 votes
3 answers
5k views

When is an integral transform trace class?

Given a measure space $(X, \mu)$ and a measurable integral kernel $k : X \times X \rightarrow \mathbb{C}$, the operator $$ K f(\xi) =\int_{X} f(x) k(x,\xi) d \mu(x),$$ the operator $K$ is Hilbert ...
Marc Palm's user avatar
  • 11.2k
31 votes
2 answers
1k views

Open problems in Sobolev spaces

What are the open problems in the theory of Sobolev spaces? I would like to see problems that are yes or no only. Also I would like to see problems with the statements that are short and easy to ...
31 votes
1 answer
2k views

Szőkefalvi-Nagy's unitarizability theorem in the Calkin algebra?

Here's a research problem, which I think interesting. Suppose that $t$ is an invertible element in the Calkin algebra $\mathcal{Q} = \mathcal{B}(\ell_2)/\mathcal{K}(\ell_2)$ which satisfies $\sup_{n \...
Narutaka OZAWA's user avatar
31 votes
1 answer
2k views

Topology on space of hyperfunctions

This is a reference request, coming from someone with little knowledge of hyperfunctions: Which methods have been used to endow the space of hyperfunctions $\mathcal B(\mathbb R)$ with something like ...
Peter Scholze's user avatar
31 votes
0 answers
2k views

Do there exist infinite-dimensional Banach spaces in which every bounded linear operator attains its norm?

Let $X$ be a Banach space, $L(X)$ the space of all bounded linear operators on $X$. We say that $A ∈ L(X)$ attains its norm if there exists $x ∈ X$ such that $\|x\| = 1$ and $\|Ax\| = \|A\|$. The ...
Mikhail Ostrovskii's user avatar
31 votes
0 answers
1k views

When are two C*-algebras isomorphic as Banach spaces?

We may consider each $C^*$-algebra as a Banach space (by forgetting the multiplication and adjoint). I wonder how drastic this step is, i.e., which properties of the $C^*$-algebra are reflected by its ...
Hannes Thiel's user avatar
  • 3,497
30 votes
4 answers
4k views

Elementary applications of Krein-Milman

This is a cross-post from MSE: Elementary applications of Krein-Milman. I'm starting to suspect that the question just doesn't really have a great answer, it's worth a try. Recall that the Krein-...
30 votes
3 answers
3k views

Surjectivity of operators on $\ell^\infty$

Can anyone give me an example of an bounded and linear operator $T:\ell^\infty\to \ell^\infty$ (the space of bounded sequences with the usual sup-norm), such that T has dense range, but is not ...
Amir's user avatar
  • 301
30 votes
1 answer
1k views

Functional-analytic proof of the existence of non-symmetric random variables with vanishing odd moments

It is known that a random variable $X$ which is symmetric about $0$ (i.e $X$ and $-X$ have the same distribution) must have all its odd moments (when they exist!) equal to zero. The converse is a ...
dohmatob's user avatar
  • 6,853
29 votes
15 answers
6k views

Important results that use infinite-dimensional manifolds?

Are Banach manifolds (or other types of infinite-dimensional manifolds) just curiosities, or have they been utilized to prove some interesting/important results? Where do they turn up? Important ...
29 votes
6 answers
9k views

Nonseparable Hilbert spaces

Being nonseparable Banach space is in fact nothing special: one meets the first examples in the standard functional analysis course, when one learns about $\ell^p$ or $L^p[0,1]$ spaces-these spaces ...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330
29 votes
1 answer
4k views

Furstenberg's Conjecture on 2-3-invariant continuous probability measures on the circle

Hillel Furstenberg conjectured that the only $2$-$3$-invariant probability measure on the circle without atoms is the Lebesgue measure. More precisely: Question: (Furstenberg) Let $\mu$ be a ...
Andreas Thom's user avatar
  • 25.5k
28 votes
6 answers
6k views

Any real contribution of functional analysis to quantum theory as a branch of physics?

In the last paragraph of this last paper of Klaas Landsman, you can read: Finally, let me note that this was a winner's (or "whig") history, full of hero-worship: following in the footsteps of ...
28 votes
6 answers
12k views

Almost orthogonal vectors

This is to do with high dimensional geometry, which I'm always useless with. Suppose we have some large integer $n$ and some small $\epsilon>0$. Working in the unit sphere of $\mathbb R^n$ or $\...
Matthew Daws's user avatar
  • 18.7k
28 votes
9 answers
5k views

Applications of algebra to analysis

EDIT: I would like to make a list of modern applications of algebra in analysis. By "modern" I will mean developments since the beginning of the 20th century. It is well known that classical linear ...
28 votes
3 answers
4k views

A separable Banach space and a non-separable Banach space having the same dual space?

I asked myself the following question when I was student just for curiosity. I asked a bit around (my professor, some researchers that I know), but nobody was able to give me an answer. So maybe it is ...
Valerio Capraro's user avatar
28 votes
7 answers
13k views

Regular borel measures on metric spaces

When teaching Measure Theory last year, I convinced myself that a finite measure defined on the Borel subsets of a (compact; separable complete?) metric space was automatically regular. I used the ...
Matthew Daws's user avatar
  • 18.7k
28 votes
2 answers
3k views

Intuition about L^p spaces

I have read somewhere the following very nice intuition about $L^p(\mathbb{R})$ spaces. This graphic shows a lot of nice relations: 1) There is no inclusion between $L^p$ and $L^q$ 2) $L^p$ is the ...
cccdi's user avatar
  • 305
28 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can an operator have Exp(z) as its characteristic "polynomial"?

Let $\mathcal{H}$ be a Hilbert space, and let $T: \mathcal{H} \rightarrow \mathcal{H}$ be a trace-class operator. Define $$ f_T(z) = \sum_{i=0}^\infty \mbox{Tr}(\wedge^k T) \cdot z^k, $$ the ...
John Wiltshire-Gordon's user avatar
28 votes
2 answers
1k views

What is the Banach-Mazur distance between $\ell_\infty$ and $L_\infty$?

Given Banach spaces $X$ and $Y$, the Banach-Mazur distance between $X$ and $Y$ is defined as $$ d(X,Y) = \inf\{ \|\varphi\|\|\varphi^{-1}\| : \varphi\colon X\to Y \text{ isomorphism} \}. $$ We ...
Hannes Thiel's user avatar
  • 3,497
28 votes
2 answers
2k views

Dynamical properties of injective continuous functions on $\mathbb{R}^d$

Let $\varphi:\mathbb{R}^d\to\mathbb{R}^d$ be an injective continuous function. Denote by $\varphi_n$ the $n$-th iterate of $\varphi$, i.e. $\varphi_n(x)=\varphi_{n-1}(\varphi(x))$ for all $x\in\...
adamp's user avatar
  • 419
28 votes
1 answer
956 views

Grothendieck's in-spirit-category-theoretic functional analysis?

I heard several times (for instance in these general lectures) that Grothendieck did functional analysis before he started doing algebraic geometry and category theory. It is said that at the time he ...
user483320's user avatar
27 votes
5 answers
3k views

Nice applications for Schwartz distributions

I am to teach a second year grad course in analysis with focus on Schwartz distributions. Among the core topics I intend to cover are: Some multilinear algebra including the Kernel Theorem and ...
Abdelmalek Abdesselam's user avatar
27 votes
2 answers
8k views

Compact embeddings of Sobolev spaces: a counterexample showing the Rellich-Kondrachov theorem is sharp

Let $U$ be an open bounded subset of $\mathbb{R}^n$ with $C^{1}$ boundary. Let $1 \leq p < n$ and $p^{\ast} = pn/(n-p)$. Then the Sobolev space $W^{1,p}(U)$ is contained $L^{p^{\ast}}(U)$ and ...
NPC's user avatar
  • 309
27 votes
4 answers
8k views

Proofs of Young's inequality for convolution

For $1\leq p,q \leq \infty$ such that $\frac1p +\frac1q\geq 1$, Young's inequality states $\|f\star g\|_r\leq \|f\|_p\|g\|_q$ (we work on $\mathbf{R}^d$ here), where $1+\frac1r = \frac1p+\frac1q$. ...
Ayman Moussa's user avatar
  • 3,425
27 votes
3 answers
5k views

Weak and Strong Integration of vector-valued functions

This is probably an elementary question, but outside my area of expertise, and I was unable to find any suitable reference: Suppose $f:X\to E$ is a continuous function from a compact spaces (endowed ...
Hadi's user avatar
  • 741
27 votes
1 answer
1k views

Do Sobolev spaces contain nowhere differentiable functions?

Does the Sobolev space $H^1(R^n)$ of weakly differentiable functions on a bounded domain in $R^n$ (or a more general Sobolev space) contain a continuous but nowhere differentiable function?
Arnold Neumaier's user avatar
27 votes
2 answers
5k views

What can be said about the Fourier transforms of characteristic functions?

What can be said about the Fourier transform of the characteristic function $1_A$, where $A\subset \mathbb{R}^n$ is of finite Lebesgue measure? In particular, What properties are common to ...
Joni Teräväinen's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
4k views

Criteria for boundedness of power series

Consider a power series $\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} a_n x^n$ that is convergent for all real x, thus defining a function $f: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$. Can one give necessary and sufficient criteria the ...
Andreas Rüdinger's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
1k views

The dual of $\mathrm{BV}$

$\DeclareMathOperator\BV{BV}\DeclareMathOperator\SBV{SBV}$I'm going to let $\BV := \BV(\mathbb{R}^d)$ denote the space of functions of bounded variation on $\mathbb{R}^d$. My question concerns the ...
Gary Moon's user avatar
  • 683
27 votes
0 answers
1k views

Unital $C^{*}$ algebras whose all elements have path connected spectrum

A unital $C^{*}$ algebra is called a "Path connected algebra" if the spectrum of all its elements is a path connected subset of $\mathbb{C}$. What is an example of a non commutative ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
26 votes
6 answers
8k views

prime ideals in C([0,1])

It is clear that each maximal ideal in ring of continuous functions over $[0,1]\subset \mathbb R$ corresponds to a point and vice-versa. So, for each ideal $I$ define $Z(I) =\{x\in [0,1]\,|\,f(x)=0, ...
Nikita Kalinin's user avatar
26 votes
3 answers
16k views

the dual space of C(X) (X is noncompact metric space)

It is well known that when $X$ is a compact space (or locally compact space), the dual space of $C(X)=\{f |f: X\rightarrow \mathbb{C} \text{ is continuous and bounded} \}$ is $M(X)$, the space of ...
yaoxiao's user avatar
  • 1,706
26 votes
2 answers
5k views

Does Arzelà-Ascoli require choice?

Inspired by a recent Math.SE question entitled Where do we need the axiom of choice in Riemannian geometry?, I was thinking of the Arzelà--Ascoli theorem. Let's state a very simple version: ...
Nate Eldredge's user avatar
26 votes
4 answers
5k views

Can $L^{2}$ be represented as a space of functions (not equivalence classes)?

Let $X$ be the vector space of all Lebesgue-measurable functions $f:\left[a,b\right]\rightarrowℝ$ such that $\int^{b}_{a}\left|f\left(x\right)\right|^{2}dx<\infty$ (Lebesgue integral). Then we can ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
26 votes
2 answers
6k views

Understanding a simplifying assumption in proof of the invariant subspace problem

In a recent preprint On the invariant subspace problem in Hilbert spaces Per H. Enflo claims to have solved the invariant subspace problem, showing that every bounded linear operator on a separable ...
Federico's user avatar
  • 423
26 votes
3 answers
2k views

About the category of von neumann algebras

I am looking for one (or more) reference about properties of the category of von Neumann algebra. More precisely, in an answer of a previous question, Dmitri Pavlov mentions that the $W^*$ category ...
Oliver's user avatar
  • 357
26 votes
3 answers
7k views

Dual of bounded uniformly continuous functions

Let $(X,d)$ be a metric space, and let $C_u(X)$ be the Banach space of bounded uniformly continuous functions on $X$ (with the uniform norm). How can I characterize its dual space $C_u(X)^*$? I ...
Nate Eldredge's user avatar
26 votes
2 answers
3k views

Corollaries of the Yoneda Lemma in Analysis?

This is a cross-post of my ~2 weeks (canonically) unanswered question on Math.SE: https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/1830287/corollaries-of-the-yoneda-lemma-in-analysis. I am looking for some ...
Chill2Macht's user avatar
  • 2,680
26 votes
2 answers
1k views

Origin and first uses of $\ell_p$ norms?

When exactly were $\ell_p$ norms first defined and used? (Here is what I know, or think I know: Lebesgue and/or Riesz had something to do with them, but in some sense they go back to Minkowski, since ...
H A Helfgott's user avatar
  • 20.2k
26 votes
3 answers
2k views

Universality of zeta- and L-functions

Voronin´s Universality Theorem (for the Riemann zeta-Function) according to Wikipedia: Let $U$ be a compact subset of the "critical half-strip" $\{s\in\mathbb{C}:\frac{1}{2}<Re(s)<1\}$ with ...
M.G.'s user avatar
  • 7,127
26 votes
1 answer
820 views

The maximal "nearly convex" function

The following problem is only tangentially related to my present work, and I do not have any applications. However, I am curious to know the solution -- or even to see a lack thereof, indicating that ...
Seva's user avatar
  • 23k
26 votes
2 answers
1k views

Symmetric strengthening of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality

In this great question by Nathaniel Johnston, and in its answers, we can learn the following remarkable inequality: For all $v,w \in \mathbb{R}^n$ we have \begin{align*} \|v^2\| \, \|w^2\| - \langle ...
Jochen Glueck's user avatar
26 votes
2 answers
2k views

When is a locally convex topological vector space normal or paracompact?

All locally convex topological vector spaces (LCTVS) are completely regular, since their topology is given by a family of semi-norms. I'm interested in conditions that imply that a LCTVS is ...
Andrew Stacey's user avatar