Invariance theorems for Nevanlinna families

A complex function $f(z)$ is called a Herglotz-Nevanlinna function if it is holomorphic in the upper half-plane ${\mathbb C}_+$ and maps ${\mathbb C}_+$ into itself. By a maximum principle a Herglotz-Nevanlinna function which takes a real value $a$ in a single point $z_0\in {\mathbb C}_+$ should be identically equal to $a$. In the present note we prove similar invariance results both for the point and the continuous spectra of an operator-valued Herglotz-Nevanlinna function with values in the set of bounded or unbounded linear operators (or relations) in a Hilbert space. The proof of this invariance result for continuous spectrum is based on Harnack's inequality. This inequality is systematically used to characterize operator-valued Herglotz-Nevanlinna functions with form-domain invariance property for their imaginary parts or Herglotz-Nevanlinna functions with values in the Schatten-von Neumann classes.