Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2018
Let A be a bounded linear operator on a Hilbert space H. Assume that A is selfadjoint in the indefinite inner product defined by a selfadjoint, bounded, invertible linear operator G on H; [x,y] := (Gx,y). In the first part of the paper we define two orders of neutrality for the pair (G, A) and a connection is made with the "types" of numbers in the point and approximate point spectrum of A. The main results of the paper are in the second part and they deal with strong and uniform definitizability of a bounded selfadjoint operator on a Pontrjagin space. They state:
A) Let A be a bounded strongly definitizable operator on a Pontrjagin space ΠK, then A is uniformly definitizable.
B) A bounded selfadjoint operator A on a Pontrjagin space ΠK is uniformly definitizable if and only if all the eigenvalues of A are of definite type and all the nonisolated eigenvalues of A are of positive type.
Some applications to the theory of linear selfadjoint operator pencils are given.