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Fix $z\in K$. If $z\in \partial K$, the conclusion is immediate. Otherwise $z$ is in the interior of $K$. If $f(z)=0$, nonnegativity of the boundary supremum suffices. For $f(z)\ne 0$, the complex Hahn-Banach theorem gives a bounded linear functional $\ell :A\to \mathbb{C}$ with $\Vert \ell \Vert =1$ and $\ell (f(z))=\Vert f(z)\Vert$. The scalar function $g=\ell \circ f$ is holomorphic.

Let $V$ be the connected component of the interior of $K$ containing $z$. It is bounded, its closure is contained in $K$, and $\partial V\subseteq \partial K$. To see the last inclusion, a boundary point of $V$ lying in the interior of $K$ would have a small connected open ball in that interior meeting $V$; the ball would belong to the same component, contradicting that it is a boundary point. The scalar maximum modulus principle on a bounded domain therefore givesFor completeness, this boundary form of the maximum modulus principle follows by taking the maximum on the compact closure of $V$. An interior maximum makes $g$ constant on $V$, in which case continuity gives the same value on its nonempty boundary. Thus the norm maximum principle for a Banach-space-valued holomorphic function applies to arbitrary compact $K$, even when it is disconnected or has nonsmooth boundary:

Take a nonzero complex unital Banach algebra, with identity $1$. The spectrum of an element isThe standard Banach algebra spectrum theorem states that it is a nonempty compact subset of $\mathbb{C}$, contained in the disk $|\lambda |\le \Vert a\Vert$. Conversely, every nonempty compact set $K\subseteq \mathbb{C}$ occurs: in the Banach algebra $C(K)$, the coordinate function $a(z)=z$ has Banach algebra spectrum exactly $K$, since $\lambda -a$ has a continuous reciprocal precisely when $\lambda \notin K$. Thus the possible Banach algebra spectra are exactly the nonempty compact subsets of the complex plane.

For a nonconstant polynomial $p$, factor $p(z)-\lambda =c{\prod }_{j=1}^n(z-z_j)$ over $\mathbb{C}$. Substitution givesThese factors commute. A finite commuting product is invertible exactly when every factor is invertible: if $P={\prod }_j{x}_j$ is invertible, its inverse commutes with each $x_j$, and $x_j^{-1}=({\prod }_{k\ne j}{x}_k)P^{-1}$ is a two-sided inverse. Hence $\lambda$ belongs to the Banach algebra spectrum of $p(a)$ exactly when some root $z_j$ belongs to ${\sigma }_A(a)$, which is equivalent to $\lambda \in p({\sigma }_A(a))$. Constant polynomials give the same result directly, since ${\sigma }_A(c1)=\{c\}$. This proves the polynomial spectral mapping theorem:For a closed unital Banach subalgebra $B\subseteq A$, use the common identity $1_A\in B$. An inverse in $B$ is an inverse in $A$, so $\boxed{{\sigma }_A(b)\subseteq {\sigma }_B(b)}$. Let $\lambda \in \partial {\sigma }_B(b)$. Choose ${\lambda }_n\notin {\sigma }_B(b)$ tending to $\lambda$. Then ${\lambda }_n\notin {\sigma }_A(b)$, and $({\lambda }_{n}1-b{)}^{-1}\in B$. If $\lambda$ were outside ${\sigma }_A(b)$, continuity of inversion in $A$ would givewhere membership follows from closedness. This would make $\lambda \notin {\sigma }_B(b)$, contrary to the closed Banach algebra spectrum having its boundary inside it. Therefore $\lambda \in {\sigma }_A(b)$ and is approached by points outside that Banach algebra spectrum, provingContinuity of inversion here follows, for example, by writing a nearby element as an invertible element times $1+$ a norm-small perturbation and using the Neumann series. This is spectrum in a closed unital subalgebra.

To retain the original Banach algebra spectrum in a commutative subalgebra, take the resolvent-generated commutative algebraEvery generator commutes with $a$ and with every other generator: commuting invertible elements have commuting inverses, and their inverses commute with all elements commuting with them. commutativity persists on the algebra they generate and on its norm closure. For every $\lambda \notin {\sigma }_A(a)$, the required inverse is in $C$ by construction, so ${\sigma }_C(a)\subseteq {\sigma }_A(a)$. The inclusion for unital subalgebras gives the reverse containment. Hence $\boxed{{\sigma }_C(a)={\sigma }_A(a)}$.

Finally, the Banach subalgebra generated by one element is $D=\overline{\{p(a):p\text{ a polynomial}\}}$, and it is commutative. Put $K={\sigma }_D(a)$ and suppose its complement has a bounded connected component $U$. The boundary of $U$ lies in $K$. For $\lambda \in U$, the maximum modulus principle on a bounded domain applied to any polynomial givesHere $r_D$ is the spectral radius, and the equality uses the already proved polynomial spectral mapping theorem. Define $\chi (p(a))=p(\lambda )$. The displayed bound makes this well defined, even when two polynomials represent the same algebra element, and bounded on the dense polynomial algebra. Its continuous extension to $D$ remains linear and multiplicative, with $\chi (1)=1$ and $\chi (a)=\lambda$, so it is a character of an algebra. If $\lambda 1-a$ were invertible in $D$, applying $\chi$ to its inverse equation would give $0=1$. Thus $\lambda \in K$, contradicting $\lambda \in U$.

There are therefore no bounded complementary components. A compact subset of the plane has exactly one unbounded complementary component: everything outside a sufficiently large disk is connected, and every unbounded component meets it. Consequently $\boxed{\mathbb{C}\setminus {\sigma }_D(a)\text{ is connected}.}$

The set $K$ is compact, and its complement is connected: two disjoint closed disks do not enclose any bounded complementary component. Since $f$ is holomorphic on the open neighbourhood $\Omega$ of $K$, the polynomial Runge theorem gives, for each $n$, a polynomial $p_n$ such thatHence

Define a function on the disconnected open set $\Omega$ byIt is holomorphic on $\Omega$. Applying the first part produces polynomials $P_n$ with

For an obstruction, takeThese are disjoint nonempty bounded closed sets. If polynomials $Q_n$ converged uniformly to zero on $K_1$, the maximum modulus principle on a bounded domain would giveThey therefore cannot also satisfy $Q_n(0)\to 1$. Thus this pair $K_1,K_2$ has the requested non-approximation property.

Rouché's theorem states that if $g$ and $h$ are holomorphic functions on a neighbourhood of the closure of a bounded domain andon its positively oriented boundary, then $g$ and $g+h$ have the same number of zeros in the domain, counted with multiplicity.

The Open mapping theorem states that a nonconstant holomorphic function on a domain maps every open subset to an open subset. To prove it, fix $z_0$ and put $w_0=f(z_0)$. By the identity theorem, the zeros of $f-w_0$ are isolated. Choose $r>0$ so that the closed disc $\overline{D(z_0,r)}$ lies in the domain and $z_0$ is the only zero of $f-w_0$ in that disc. ThenWhenever $|w-w_0|<\delta$, the constant $w_0-w$ has modulus smaller than $f-w_0$ on the circle. The Rouche theorem therefore says thathas the same positive number of zeros in the disc as $f-w_0$. Thus every $w\in D(w_0,\delta )$ lies in the image of $f$, proving that the image is open.

If $|f|$ had a local maximum at $z_0$, take a small open disc $D$ on which $|f(z)|\le |f(z_0)|$. The restriction of $f$ to $D$ cannot be constant, since the identity theorem would then make $f$ constant on the whole domain. The complex open mapping theorem says that $f(D)$ is an open neighbourhood of $f(z_0)$, and such a neighbourhood contains points of modulus greater than $|f(z_0)|$, a contradiction. This proves the maximum modulus principle from the complex open mapping theorem.

Now let $\Omega$ be bounded. Its closure is compact, so the continuous function $|f|$ attains a maximum there. If $f$ is nonconstant, the maximum modulus principle excludes an interior maximum; if $f$ is constant, the claimed bound is immediate. Hencewhich is the maximum modulus principle on a bounded domain.

Finally let $\Omega =\{z:\mathrm{Re}z>1\}$ and suppose $|f|\le K$ throughout $\overline{\Omega }$. Fix $z_0\in \Omega$. The principal complex logarithm is holomorphic on the right half-plane, so for each positive integer $n$ the functionis holomorphic on $\Omega$ and continuous on its closure. Given $\epsilon >0$, choose $R>|z_0|$ so large thatApply the bounded-domain result to $g_n$ on $\Omega \cap D(0,R)$. On the vertical part of the boundary, $|z|\ge 1$ and hence $|g_n(z)|\le M$. On the circular part,It follows thatLetting $n\to \infty$ and then $\epsilon \to 0$ gives $|f(z_0)|\le M$. Since $z_0$ was arbitrary, this proves the bounded half-plane maximum principle.

The boundedness assumption is necessary. The functionis holomorphic on $\Omega$ and continuous on its closure, and $|f(1+iy)|=e$ on the boundary, but $|f(x)|=e^x$ is unbounded for real $x>1$. Thus the boundary estimate does not control an unbounded holomorphic function on this unbounded domain.