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A linear operator $T:X\to Y$ is a compact operator if the image of the closed unit ball has compact closure in $Y$. Equivalently, every bounded sequence $(x_n)$ in $X$ has a subsequence whose images converge in the norm of $Y$. This implies boundedness of $T$.

The Schauder theorem for compact operators says that for a bounded linear operator between Banach spaces,where the dual map of bounded linear operator is $T^{\ast }f=f\circ T$. The forward implication also holds for normed spaces; completeness of the target gives the usual converse. The compactness definition requires the image subsequence's limit to belong to $Y$, so that completeness qualification matters when stating the theorem beyond Banach spaces.

The weak-star topology $\sigma (X^{\ast },X)$ is generated by the seminorms $p_x(g)=|g(x)|$, $x\in X$. Thus every evaluation is continuous, so $f_n\stackrel{w^{\ast }}{\to }f$ implies $f_n(x)\to f(x)$ for each $x$. Conversely, a basic neighborhood of $f$ imposes finitely many conditions $|(g-f)(x_j)|<\epsilon$. Pointwise convergence eventually satisfies all of them simultaneously. HenceThe Uniform boundedness principle, applied on the Banach space $X$, gives $M={\sup }_n\Vert f_n\Vert <\infty$. If $x_n\to x$ in the norm topology, thenTherefore $\boxed{f_n(x_n)\to f(x)}$. Completeness of $X$ is used in this uniform boundedness step.

If $C\subseteq X^{\ast }$ is norm compact, the identity map from $(C,\Vert \cdot \Vert )$ to $(C,w^{\ast })$ is a continuous bijection. The target is Hausdorff, since distinct functionals differ at some $x\in X$. The compact-to-Hausdorff continuous bijection theorem gives

The Banach-Alaoglu theorem states that the closed dual unit ball $B_{X^{\ast }}$ is compact in the weak-star topology; in fact $X$ need only be a normed vector space. To prove it, work over $\mathbb{F}=\mathbb{R}$ or $\mathbb{C}$ and formEach $D_x$ is compact, so $Q$ is compact by the Tychonoff theorem. Embed $B_{X^{\ast }}$ by $g\mapsto (g(x){)}_{x\in X}$. Its image consists exactly of those families $(z_x)$ satisfyingThese are closed conditions in the product topology. Conversely, any family satisfying them defines a linear functional bounded by $|z_x|\le \Vert x\Vert$, hence an element of $B_{X^{\ast }}$. The image is therefore closed and compact. The induced product topology is precisely the weak-star topology, proving the theorem. This is a compactness proof for arbitrary nets, with no separability assumption.

For the dual map of bounded linear operator $T^{\ast }:Y^{\ast }\to X^{\ast }$, each $x\in X$ satisfiesEvaluation at the fixed vector $Tx$ is weak-star continuous, so $\boxed{T^{\ast }\text{ is weak-star-to-weak-star continuous}}$.

Suppose $T$ is a compact operator. By the allowed Schauder theorem for compact operators, $T^{\ast }$ is compact. If $S\subseteq Y^{\ast }$ is bounded, the norm closure $C=\overline{T^{\ast }(S)}$ is norm compact. We already proved that its norm and weak-star topologies coincide. The weak-star continuous map $T^{\ast }{|}_S$ into $C$ is consequently norm continuous. Conversely, if $T^{\ast }$ is weak-star-to-norm continuous on bounded subsets, its restriction to $B_{Y^{\ast }}$ maps a weak-star compact set, by Banach-Alaoglu theorem, to a norm compact set. Thus $T^{\ast }$ is a compact operator, and the Schauder theorem for compact operators gives

Let $K=\overline{T(B_X)}$, which is compact. Every $y^{\ast }$ in the unit ball of the continuous dual space $Y^{\ast }$ restricts to a function on $K$. These functions are uniformly bounded and equicontinuous, sinceBy the Arzelà-Ascoli theorem, every sequence $(y_n^{\ast })$ in the unit ball has a subsequence that converges uniformly on $K$. Along this subsequence,The continuous dual space $X^{\ast }$ is complete, so $(T^{\ast }{y}_n^{\ast })$ converges in norm. Every sequence in the image of the unit ball therefore has a convergent subsequence, proving the forward direction of the Schauder theorem for compact operators: