Differences of idempotents in <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis>*-algebras

Suppose that P and Q are idempotents on a Hilbert space H, while Q = Q* and I is the identity operator in H. If U = P ? Q is an isometry then U = U* is unitary and Q = I ? P. We establish a double inequality for the infimum and the supremum of P and Q in H and P ? Q. Applications of this inequality are obtained to the characterization of a trace and ideal F-pseudonorms on a W*-algebra. Let φ be a trace on the unital C*-algebra A and let tripotents P and Q belong to A. If P ? Q belongs to the domain of definition of φ then φ(P ? Q) is a real number. The commutativity of some operators is established.