Write and equip with the compact-open topology. All algebra homomorphisms here are complex linear. Choose a finite positively oriented boundary cycle in with winding number one on a neighborhood of and zero outside . Such a cycle can be obtained as the boundary of a finite union of sufficiently small squares whose interior contains and whose closure is contained in ; holes are included with negative boundary orientation. Define the holomorphic functional calculus by the norm-convergent contour integral
The resolvent identity proves that is a Banach-space-valued holomorphic function off . The Cauchy integral theorem, applied after each bounded linear functional, makes the integral independent of the chosen boundary cycle. The Hahn-Banach theorem then gives equality of the algebra-valued integrals. Moreover,
which proves complex linearity and continuity for the compact-open topology.
For the constant function and the coordinate function , the contour can be deformed to a large circle because their integrands are holomorphic everywhere outside . There the Neumann series gives . Integrating term by term shows
To prove multiplicativity, take nested cycles around , with the outer cycle winding once on the inner cycle and the inner winding zero on the outer cycle. Use the outer cycle for and the inner for . The resolvent identity reads
In the resulting double integral, the term containing gives after the integral, by the Cauchy integral formula. The term containing vanishes after the integral, because is holomorphic on and inside the inner cycle's region. Therefore
The integrals are over finite compact curves and have continuous integrands, so exchanging their order is legitimate. This proves the existence of the required continuous unital algebra homomorphism.
For uniqueness, the Runge approximation theorem gives density in , for the compact-open topology, of rational functions with poles outside . More explicitly, exhaust by compact sets that are holomorphically convex relative to , and approximate on those sets by rational functions whose poles lie in the complement of ; this gives convergence on every compact subset. Any unital algebra homomorphism taking to must take , for , to , since it preserves inverse equations. Partial fractions and polynomial algebra therefore fix its value on every such rational function. Continuity fixes its value on their limits. Thus the continuous unital homomorphism with the prescribed coordinate value is unique. Restricting a function to a smaller neighborhood of gives the same value, either by the contour definition or this uniqueness argument.
To prove the holomorphic spectral mapping theorem, first let . There is an open neighborhood of on which has no zeros. The holomorphic function on supplies a two-sided inverse through
Thus . Conversely, if and , the divided difference
is holomorphic on , and multiplicativity gives
The two factors commute. A commuting product can be invertible only if both factors are invertible: its inverse commutes with each factor, and is a two-sided inverse for . Invertibility of the displayed product would therefore contradict . This proves
For the root, let and , using the principal complex logarithm. Define . Since , multiplicativity and the holomorphic spectral mapping theorem give
This is the principal cube root of a Banach-algebra element.
For uniqueness, suppose and . Cubing maps the whole open sector into , so
is a continuous unital algebra homomorphism: pullback by cubing is continuous for the compact-open topology, since images of compact sets are compact. It takes the coordinate function to , and uniqueness already proved gives . For , the scalar principal cube root satisfies , because . Hence
This proves uniqueness with the stated spectral sector, without assuming the ambient Banach algebra is commutative or that algebra characters separate its elements.