A Hilbert algebra of Hilbert-Schmidt quadratic operators

Abstract

A quadratic operator Q of Hilbert-Schmidt class on a real separable Hilbert space H is shown to be uniquely representable as a sequence of self-adjoint linear operators of Hilbert-Schmidt class on H, such that Q(x) = Σk〈Lkx, x〉uk with respect to a Hilbert basis . It is shown that with the norm | ‖Q‖ | = (Σk ‖Lk‖2)½ and inner-product 〈〈〈Q, P〉〉〉 = Σk 〈〈Lk, Mk〉〉, together with a multiplication defined componentwise through the composition of the linear components, the vector space of all Hilbert-Schmidt quadratic operators Q on H becomes a linear H*-algebra containing an ideal of nuclear (trace class) quadratic operators. In the finite dimensional case, each Q is also shown to have another representation as a block-diagonal matrix of Hilbert-Schmidt class which simplifies the practical computation and manipulation of quadratic operators.