Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2026/iii/paper-358/1/a/solution

Let be compact and let be another resolvent point. The resolvent identity gives
or
The bracket is bounded and the product of a bounded operator with a compact operator is compact. Thus compactness at one resolvent point implies compactness at every resolvent point.
Fix such a . Spectral mapping for the bounded compact operator gives
Every nonzero spectral point of a compact operator is an isolated eigenvalue of finite multiplicity, and zero is its only possible accumulation point. Hence a compact resolvent operator has only isolated eigenvalues of finite multiplicity, with no finite accumulation point. The spectrum is allowed to be empty.
Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.

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