Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 April 2014
A definition of the reflexive index of a family of (closed) subspaces of a complex, separable Hilbert space $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}H$ is given, analogous to one given by D. Zhao for a family of subsets of a set. Following some observations, some examples are given, including: (a) a subspace lattice on $H$ with precisely five nontrivial elements with infinite reflexive index; (b) a reflexive subspace lattice on $H$ with infinite reflexive index; (c) for each positive integer $n$ satisfying dim $H\ge n+1$, a reflexive subspace lattice on $H$ with reflexive index $n$. If $H$ is infinite-dimensional and ${\mathcal{B}}$ is an atomic Boolean algebra subspace lattice on $H$ with $n$ equidimensional atoms and with the property that the vector sum $K+L$ is closed, for every $K,L\in {\mathcal{B}}$, then ${\mathcal{B}}$ has reflexive index at most $n$.