Birkhoff's theorem and multidimensional numerical range

Abstract

We study the relation between the spectrum of a self-adjoint operator and its multidimensional numerical range. It turns out that the multidimensional numerical range is a convex set whose extreme points are sequences of eigenvalues of the operator. Every collection of eigenvalues which can be obtained by the Rayleigh--Ritz formula generates an extreme point of the multidimensional numerical range. However, it may also have other extreme points.