Banach manifolds of algebraic elements in the algebra$$mathcal{L}$$( H) of bounded linear operatorsof bounded linear operators

Given a complex Hilbert space H, we study the manifold of algebraic elements in . We represent as a disjoint union of closed connected subsets M of Z each of which is an orbit under the action of G, the group of all C^*-algebra automorphisms of Z. Those orbits M consisting of hermitian algebraic elements with a fixed finite rank r, (0< r<∞) are real-analytic direct submanifolds of Z. Using the C^*-algebra structure of Z, a Banach-manifold structure and a G-invariant torsionfree affine connection ∇ are defined on M, and the geodesics are computed. If M is the orbit of a finite rank projection, then a G-invariant Riemann structure is defined with respect to which ∇ is the Levi-Civita connection. Supported by Ministerio de Educación y Cultura of Spain, Research Project BFM2002-01529.