Suppose that $a(\cdot,\cdot):V \times V \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ is a symmetric, continuous bilinear form defined on the Hilbert space V. 


Assume that, for any continuous linear functional on $l \in V’$ and for any closed subspace $U \subset V$, the variational equation 
$$ a(u,v) = l(v) \quad \forall v \in U$$ 
has one and only one solution $u\in U$. 


Show that there is a constant $\alpha>0$ such that, either $a(v,v) \geq \alpha ||v||\_V^2$ for all $v\in V$, or $a(v,v) \leq -\alpha ||v||\_V^2$ for all $v\in V$.


I am thinking that the bilinear form $a(\cdot,\cdot)$ can be related to an self-adjoint operator $A: V \rightarrow V$. The solvability of the variational equation $a(u,v) = l(v)$ can be transformed to the following equation $Au = \tau(l)$ where $\tau: V' \rightarrow V$ is the F. Riesz's isometry. The latter equation can be related to the "eigenvalues" of the self-adjoint operator $A$.



Converse of Lax-Milgram theorem
Every continuous bilinear (or sesquilinear) form $a$ on $V$ induces a continuous (anti)linear map $A: V\to V', u\mapsto a(u,\cdot)$. Your assumption boils down to $A$ being bijective: "Every $l\in V'$ is of the form $a(u,\cdot)$" is surjectivity and that the solution $u$ being unique is injectivity. A bijective operator between Banach spaces is invertible, so that $A$ is an isomorphism. The constant $\alpha$ you're looking for is the operator norm of $A^{-1}$. For that we have to prove that $a$ is positive or negative definite.


That's where the subspaces come into the picture: If the problem $\forall v\in U: a(u,v)=l(v)$ has a unique solution for every $U$ und $l$, then in particular we can look at a functional that maps a fixed $v\neq 0 $ to $1$ and at the subspace $U=span(v)$. The solution we get is a multiple of $v$ and shows that $a(v,v)$ cannot be zero. Since $v$ was arbitrary, $a$ is either positive or negative definite.


Note that just like in the Lax-Milgram theorem itself, symmetry was not necessary.


