In this paper we define B-Fredholm elements in a Banach algebra A modulo an ideal J of A. When a trace function is given on the ideal J, it generates an index for B-Fredholm elements. In the case of a B-Fredholm operator T acting on a Banach space, we prove that its usual index ind(T) is equal to the trace of the commutator [T, T0], where T0 is a Drazin inverse of T modulo the ideal of finite rank operators, extending Fedosov's trace formula for Fredholm operators (see Böttcher and Silbermann [Analysis of Toeplitz operators, 2nd edn (Springer, 2006)]. In the case of a primitive Banach algebra, we prove a punctured neighbourhood theorem for the index.

Let ${\mathcal C}[{\mathcal X}]$ be any class of operators on a Banach space ${\mathcal X}$, and let ${Holo}^{-1}({\mathcal C})$ denote the class of operators A for which there exists a holomorphic function f on a neighbourhood ${\mathcal N}$ of the spectrum σ(A) of A such that f is non-constant on connected components of ${\mathcal N}$ and f(A) lies in ${\mathcal C}$. Let ${{\mathcal R}[{\mathcal X}]}$ denote the class of Riesz operators in ${{\mathcal B}[{\mathcal X}]}$. This paper considers perturbation of operators $A\in\Phi_{+}({\mathcal X})\Cup\Phi_{-}({\mathcal X})$ (the class of all upper or lower [semi] Fredholm operators) by commuting operators in $B\in{Holo}^{-1}({\mathcal R}[{\mathcal X}])$. We prove (amongst other results) that if πB(B) = ∏mi = 1(B − μi) is Riesz, then there exist decompositions ${\mathcal X}=\oplus_{i=1}^m{{\mathcal X}_i}$ and $B=\oplus_{i=1}^m{B|_{{\mathcal X}_i}}=\oplus_{i=1}^m{B_i}$ such that: (i) If λ ≠ 0, then $\pi_B(A,\lambda)=\prod_{i=1}^m{(A-\lambda\mu_i)^{\alpha_i}} \in\Phi_{+}({\mathcal X})$ (resp., $\in\Phi_{-}({\mathcal X})$) if and only if $A-\lambda B_0-\lambda\mu_i\in\Phi_{+}({\mathcal X})$ (resp., $\in\Phi_{-}({\mathcal X})$), and (ii) (case λ = 0) $A\in\Phi_{+}({\mathcal X})$ (resp., $\in\Phi_{-}({\mathcal X})$) if and only if $A-B_0\in\Phi_{+}({\mathcal X})$ (resp., $\in\Phi_{-}({\mathcal X})$), where B0 = ⊕mi = 1(Bi − μi); (iii) if $\pi_B(A,\lambda)\in\Phi_{+}({\mathcal X})$ (resp., $\in\Phi_{-}({\mathcal X})$) for some λ ≠ 0, then $A-\lambda B\in\Phi_{+}({\mathcal X})$ (resp., $\in\Phi_{-}({\mathcal X})$).

A-Weyl's theorem and property (ω), as two variations of Weyl's theorem, were introduced by Rakočević. In this paper, we study a-Weyl's theorem and property (ω) for functions of bounded linear operators. A necessary and sufficient condition is given for an operator T to satisfy that f(T) obeys a-Weyl's theorem (property (ω)) for all f ∈ Hol(σ(T)). Also we investigate the small-compact perturbations of operators satisfying a-Weyl's theorem (property (ω)) in the setting of separable Hilbert spaces.

This paper is concerned with the study of a class of closed linear operators densely defined on a Hilbert space $H$ and called B-Fredholm operators. We characterize a B-Fredholm operator as the direct sum of a Fredholm closed operator and a bounded nilpotent operator. The notion of an index of a B-Fredholm operator is introduced and a characterization of B-Fredholm operators with index $0$ is given in terms of the sum of a Drazin closed operator and a finite-rank operator. We analyse the properties of the powers $T^m$ of a closed B-Fredholm operator and we establish a spectral mapping theorem.

In this note we answer two question posed by Berkani and Koliha [Acta Sci. Math.69 (2003), 359–376]. We show that generalized Browder's (resp. generalized $a$-Browder's) theorem holds for a Banach space operator if and only if Browder's (resp. $a$-Browder's) theorem does. We also give condition under which generalized Weyl's (resp. generalized $a$-Weyl's) theorem is equivalent to Weyl's (resp. $a$-Weyl's) theorem.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed treatment of the behaviour of essential spectra of closed densely defined linear operators subjected to additive perturbations not necessarily belonging to any ideal of the algebra of bounded linear operators. If A denotes a closed densely defined linear operator on a Banach space X, our approach consists principally in considering the class of A-closable operators which, regarded as operators in ℒ(XA, X) (where XA denotes the domain of A equipped with the graph norm), are contained in the set of A-Fredholm perturbations (see Definition 1.2). Our results are used to describe the essential spectra of singular neutron transport equations in bounded geometries.

Let T be a bounded linear operator acting on a Hilbert space H. The B-Weyl spectrum of T is the set σBW(T) of all λ ∈ Сsuch that T − λI is not a B-Fredholm operator of index 0. Let E(T) be the set of all isolated eigenvalues of T. The aim of this paper is to show that if T is a hyponormal operator, then T satisfies generalized Weyl's theorem σBW(T) = σ(T)/E(T), and the B-Weyl spectrum σBW(T) of T satisfies the spectral mapping theorem. We also consider commuting finite rank perturbations of operators satisfying generalized Weyl's theorem.

This paper gives a complete classification of essentially commutative C*-algebras whose essential spectrum is homeomorphic to S2n−1 by their characteristic numbers. Let 1, 2 be such two C*-algebras; then they are C*-isomorphic if and only if they have the same n-th characteristic number. Furthermore, let γn() = m then is C*-isomorphic to C*(Mzl, …, Mzn) if m = 0, is C*-isomorphic C*(Tz1, …, Tzn−1, Tznm) if m ≠ 0. Some examples are given to show applications of the classfication theorem. We finally remark that the proof of the theorem depends on a construction of a complete system of representatives of Ext(S2n−1).