On the minimal space of surjectivity question for linear transformations on vector spaces with applications to surjectivity of differential operators on locally convex spaces

We use transfinite induction to show that if L is an epimorphism of a vector space V and maps a vector subspace W of V into a proper subspace of itself, then there is a smallest subspace E of V containing W such that L(E) E (or a minimal space of surjectivity or solvability) and we give examples where there are infinitely many distinct minimal spaces of solvability. We produce an example showing that if L 1 and L 2 are two epimorphisms of a vector space V which are endomorphisms of a proper subspace W of V such that LI(W) n L2(W is a proper subspace of W, then there may not exist a smallest subspace E of V containing W such that LI(E) E L2(E). While no nonconstant linear partial differential operator maps the field of meromorphic functions onto itself, we construct a locally convex topological vector space of formal power series containing the meromorphic functions such that every linear partial differential operator with constant coefficients maps this space linearly and continuously onto itself. Furthermore, we show that algebraically there is for every linear partial differential operator P(D) with constant coefficients a smallest extension E of the meromorphic functions in n complex variables, where