Note on spectra of non-selfadjoint operators over dynamical systems

Abstract

We consider equivariant continuous families of discrete one-dimensional operators over arbitrary dynamical systems. We introduce the concept of a pseudo-ergodic element of a dynamical system. We then show that all operators associated to pseudo-ergodic elements have the same spectrum and that this spectrum agrees with their essential spectrum. As a consequence we obtain that the spectrum is constant and agrees with the essential spectrum for all elements in the dynamical system if minimality holds.