Quotient-bounded elements in locally convex algebras. II

Consideration of quotient-bounded elements in a locally convexGB ^*-algebra leads to the study of properGB ^*-algebras viz those that admit nontrivial quotient-bounded elements. The construction and structure of such algebras are discussed. A representation theorem for a properGB ^*-algebra representing it as an algebra of unbounded Hilbert space operators is obtained in a form that unifies the well-known Gelfand-Naimark representation theorem forC ^*-algebra and two other representation theorems forb ^*-algebras (also calledlmc ^*-algebras), one representinga b ^*-algebra as an algebra of quotient bounded operators and the other as a weakly unbounded operator algebra. A number of examples are discussed to illustrate quotient-bounded operators. An algebra of unbounded operators constructed out of noncommutativeL ^p-spaces on a regular probability gauge space and the convolution algebra of periodic distributions are analyzed in detail; whereas unbounded Hilbert algebras andL ^w-integral of a measurable field ofC ^*-algebras are discussed briefly.     

A noncommutative Brooks-Jewett Theorem

In classical measure theory the Brooks-Jewett Theorem provides a finitely-additive-analogue to the Vitali-Hahn-Saks Theorem. In this paper, it is studied whether the Brooks-Jewett Theorem allows for a noncommutative extension. It will be seen that, in general, a bona-fide extension is not valid. Indeed, it will be shown that a C^*-algebra A satisfies the Brooks-Jewett property if, and only if, it is Grothendieck, and every irreducible representation of A is finite-dimensional; and a von Neumann algebra satisfies the Brooks-Jewett property if, and only if, it is topologically equivalent to an abelian algebra.     

Existence and uniqueness of physical ground states

It is proved that if A is a bounded Hermitian operator on a probability Hilbert algebra which preserves positivity and is continuous from L² to L^p for some p > 2 then ∥ A ∥ is an eigenvalue of A. A sufficient condition is given for its multiplicity to be one. Applications are given to the proof of existence and nondegeneracy of physical ground states in quantum field theory for physical systems involving Fermions or Bosons.     

Duality and operator algebras: automatic weak* continuity and applications

We investigate some subtle and interesting phenomena in the duality theory of operator spaces and operator algebras, and give several applications of the surprising fact that certain maps are always weak^*-continuous on dual spaces. In particular, if X is a subspace of a C^*-algebra A, and if a∈A satisfies aX⊂X, then we show that the function x?ax on X is automatically weak^* continuous if either (a) X is a dual operator space, or (b) a^*X⊂X and X is a dual Banach space. These results hinge on a generalization to Banach modules of Tomiyama's famous theorem on contractive projections onto a C^*-subalgebra. Applications include a new characterization of the σ-weakly closed (possibly nonunital and nonselfadjoint) operator algebras, and a generalization of the theory of W^*-modules to the framework of modules over such algebras. We also give a Banach module characterization of σ-weakly closed spaces of operators which are invariant under the action of a von Neumann algebra.     

Convolution semigroups of states

Convolution semigroups of states on a quantum group form the natural noncommutative analogue of convolution semigroups of probability measures on a locally compact group. Here we initiate a theory of weakly continuous convolution semigroups of functionals on a C*-bialgebra, the noncommutative counterpart of a locally compact semigroup. On locally compact quantum groups we obtain a bijective correspondence between such convolution semigroups and a class of C ₀-semigroups of maps which we characterise. On C*-bialgebras of discrete type we show that all weakly continuous convolution semigroups of states are automatically norm-continuous. As an application we deduce a known characterisation of continuous conditionally positive-definite Hermitian functions on a compact group.     

Topological *-algebras withC*-enveloping algebras II

UniversalC*-algebrasC*(A) exist for certain topological *-algebras called algebras with aC*-enveloping algebra. A Frechet *-algebraA has aC*-enveloping algebra if and only if every operator representation ofA mapsA into bounded operators. This is proved by showing that every unbounded operator representation π, continuous in the uniform topology, of a topological *-algebraA, which is an inverse limit of Banach *-algebras, is a direct sum of bounded operator representations, thereby factoring through the enveloping pro-C*-algebraE(A) ofA. Given aC*-dynamical system (G,A,α), any topological *-algebraB containingC _c (G,A) as a dense *-subalgebra and contained in the crossed productC*-algebraC*(G,A,α) satisfiesE(B) =C*(G,A,α). IfG = ℝ, ifB is an α-invariant dense Frechet *-subalgebra ofA such thatE(B) =A, and if the action α onB ism-tempered, smooth and by continuous *-automorphisms: then the smooth Schwartz crossed productS(ℝ,B,α) satisfiesE(S(ℝ,B,α)) =C*(ℝ,A,α). WhenG is a Lie group, theC ^∞-elementsC ^∞(A), the analytic elementsC ^ω(A) as well as the entire analytic elementsC ^є(A) carry natural topologies making them algebras with aC*-enveloping algebra. Given a non-unitalC*-algebraA, an inductive system of idealsI _α is constructed satisfyingA =C*-ind limI _α; and the locally convex inductive limit ind limI _α is anm-convex algebra with theC*-enveloping algebraA and containing the Pedersen idealK _a ofA. Given generatorsG with weakly Banach admissible relationsR, we construct universal topological *-algebraA(G, R) and show that it has aC*-enveloping algebra if and only if (G, R) isC*-admissible.     

When does continuity on the center imply continuity?

LetA be a Banach algebra. We give a condition forA which forces a homomorphism fromA into a Banach algebra to be continuous if the closure of its continuity ideal has finite codimension, and if its restriction to the center ofA is continuous. We apply this result to answer the question in the title for centralC ^*-algebras,AW ^*-algebras, andL ¹ (G) for certain [FIA]^?-groupsG.     

New associative and nonassociative Gelfand-Naimark theorems

We prove that, ifA is a complex Banach algebra with a unit 1 and a conjugate-linear vector space involution^* such that 1^*=1 and‖a ^*a‖=‖a^*‖ ‖a‖ for alla inA, and ifdim(A)≥3, thenA is a C^*-algebra. The two-dimensional case is also considered and described.     

Noncommutative dynamics and generalized master equations

We review the basic concepts of quantum probability and stochastics using the universal Itô B*-algebra approach. The main notions and results of classical and quantum stochastics are reformulated in this unifying approach. The general Lévy process is defined in terms of the modular B*-Itô algebra, and the corresponding quantum stochastic master equation on the predual space of theW*-algebra is derived as a noncommutative version of the Zakai equation driven by the process. This is done by a noncommutative analog of the Girsanov transformation, which we introduce here in full generality.     

On a conjecture by Ghahramani-Lau and related problems concerning topological centres

Let A be a Banach algebra, and consider A^** equipped with the first Arens product. We establish a general criterion which ensures that A is left strongly Arens irregular, i.e., the first topological centre of A^** is reduced to A itself. Using this criterion, we prove that for a very large class of locally compact groups, Ghahramani-Lau's conjecture (cf. [Lau 94] and [Gha-Lau 95]) stating the left strong Arens irregularity of the measure algebra M(G), holds true. (Our methods obviously yield as well the right strong Arens irregularity in the situation considered.)Furthermore, the same condition used above implies that every linear left A^**-module homomorphism on A^* is automatically bounded and w^*-continuous. We finally show that our criterion also yields a partial answer to a question raised by Lau-Ülger (Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 348 (3) (1996) 1191) on the topological centre of the algebra (A^*⊙A)^*, for A having a right approximate identity bounded by 1.     

Déformations d'algèbres de Weyl

We study here the rigidity of algebras which are the completion of the Weyl algebra A or the universal enveloping algebra A′ of the Lie algebra of the 2k+1 dimensional Heisenberg group. We define a canonical completion A_* of A and of A and prove that A_* does not does not have any continuous, Sp(k)-invariant deformation. Finally, we study the cohomology group associated to the problem of deformation of A′ and its completion. The invariant cohomology is one dimensional.     

A generalization to the non-separable case of Takesaki's duality theorem forC *-algebras

Takesaki [5] poses the question of how much information about aC ^*-algebraA is contained in its representation theory. He gives it a precise meaning in the following setting: One can furnish the set Rep (A:H) of all representations ofA in a suitable Hilbert spaceH with a topology, with an action of the unitary groupG ofB(H) on it, and with an addition. The setA ^F of operator fields Rep (A:H)B(H) commuting with the action ofG and addition, called the admissible operator fields, turn out to form aW ^*-algebra isomorphic to the bidual ofA with Arens multiplication or with the universal enveloping von Neumann algebra ofA. Takesaki shows in the separable case thatA can be identified inA ^F as the set of continuous admissible operator fields, and leaves the same question open for arbitraryC ^*-algebras. Changing the structures on Rep(A:H) slightly, it is shown here that this result obtains in the general case as well. The proof proceeds along the lines set up in [5] but makes no use of the representation theory of NGCR algebras.     

The cohomology structure of string algebras

We show that the graded commutative ring structure of the Hochschild cohomology HH^*(A) is trivial in case A is a triangular quadratic string algebra. Moreover, in case A is gentle, the Lie algebra structure on HH^*(A) is also trivial.     

Complete positivity,tensor products and C*-nuclearity for inverse limits of C*-algebras

The paper aims at developing a theory of nuclear (in the topological algebraic sense) pro-C^*-algebras (which are inverse limits of C^*-algebras) by investigating completely positive maps and tensor products. By using the structure of matrix algebras over a pro-C^*-algebra, it is shown that a unital continuous linear map between pro-C^*-algebrasA andB is completely positive iff by restriction, it defines a completely positive map between the C^*-algebrasb(A) andb(B) consisting of all bounded elements ofA andB. In the metrizable case,A andB are homeomorphically isomorphic iff they are matricially order isomorphic. The injective pro-C^*-topology α and the projective pro-C^*-topology v on A⊗B are shown to be minimal and maximal pro-C^*-topologies; and α coincides with the topology of biequicontinous convergence iff eitherA orB is abelian. A nuclear pro-C^*-algebraA is one that satisfies, for any pro-C^*-algebra (or a C^*-algebra)B, any of the equivalent requirements; (i) α =v onA ⊗B (ii)A is inverse limit of nuclear C^*-algebras (iii) there is only one admissible pro-C^*-topologyon A⊗B (iv) the bounded partb(A) ofA is a nuclear C⊗-algebra (v) any continuous complete state map A→B^* can be approximated in simple weak^* convergence by certain finite rank complete state maps. This is used to investigate permanence properties of nuclear pro-C^*-algebras pertaining to subalgebras, quotients and projective and inductive limits. A nuclearity criterion for multiplier algebras (in particular, the multiplier algebra of Pedersen ideal of a C^*-algebra) is developed and the connection of this C^*-algebraic nuclearity with Grothendieck’s linear topological nuclearity is examined. A σ-C^*-algebraA is a nuclear space iff it is an inverse limit of finite dimensional C^*-algebras; and if abelian, thenA is isomorphic to the algebra (pointwise operations) of all scalar sequences.     

On a class of smooth Frechet subalgebras of C * -algebras

The paper contributes to understanding the differential structure in a C ^*-algebra. Refining the Banach $(D_p^*)$ -algebras investigated by Kissin and Shulman as noncommutative analogues of the algebra C ^p [a,b] of p-times continuously differentiable functions, we investigate a Frechet $(D_\infty^*)$ -subalgebra $\ensuremath{{\mathcal B}}$ of a C ^*-algebra as a noncommutative analogue of the algebra C ^?∞?[a,b] of smooth functions. Regularity properties like spectral invariance, closure under functional calculi and domain invariance of homomorphisms are derived expressing $\ensuremath{{\mathcal B}}$ as an inverse limit over n of Banach $(D^*_n)$ -algebras. Several examples of such smooth algebras are exhibited.     

Structure and representations of noncommutative C*-Jordan algebras

We show that a unital n.c. (noncommutative) JB^*-algebra has a faithful family of factor-representations of type I and determine the structure of n.c. JB^*-factors: A n.c. JB^*-factor is a commutative Jordan algebra, or flexible quadratic, or a quasi CC^*-algebra.     

Noncommutative versions of the Singer-Wermer conjecture with linear left ϑ-derivations

The noncommutative Singer-Wermer conjecture states that every linear （possibly unbounded） derivation on a （possibly noncommutative） Banach algebra maps into its Jacobson radical. This conjecture is still an open question for more than thirty years. In this paper we approach this question via linear left θ-derivations.