 Solution

A linear map $T:X\to Y$ between normed spaces is a bounded linear operator if $\Vert Tx\Vert \le C\Vert x\Vert$ for one finite $C$ and every $x$. This implies $\Vert Tx-Ty\Vert \le C\Vert x-y\Vert$, hence continuity. Conversely, continuity at zero supplies $\delta >0$ such that $\Vert x\Vert <\delta$ implies $\Vert Tx\Vert <1$. Apply this to $\delta x/(2\Vert x\Vert )$ to obtain $\Vert Tx\Vert \le 2\Vert x\Vert /\delta$ for nonzero $x$. Thus boundedness and continuity are equivalent for linear maps.

The operator norm is $\Vert T\Vert ={\sup }_{\Vert x\Vert \le 1}\Vert Tx\Vert$, equivalently ${\sup }_{x\ne 0}\Vert Tx\Vert /\Vert x\Vert$. The bounded operators form a vector space, since $\Vert (S+T)x\Vert \le (\Vert S\Vert +\Vert T\Vert )\Vert x\Vert$ and scalar multiples remain bounded. Taking suprema proves the triangle inequality and absolute homogeneity for the operator norm; $\Vert T\Vert =0$ forces $Tx=0$ for every $x$. Thus $B(X,Y)$ is a normed space, whether or not $X,Y$ are complete.