Elementary operators on the algebra of adjointable operators on a Hilbert module (Q2633755): Difference between revisions

Let \(\mathcal A\) be a prime unital \(C^*\)-algebra, \(X\) a countably generated Hilbert \(C^*\)-module over \(\mathcal A\), \(\mathbb B(X)\) (resp., \(\mathbb K(X)\)) the \(C^*\)-algebra of all adjointable (resp., `compact') operators on \(X\). Given \(A,B\in\mathbb B(X)\), the map \(M_{A,B}:\mathbb B(X)\to\mathbb B(X)\), \(M_{A,B}T=ATB\), \(T\in\mathbb B(X)\), is called a multiplication operator, and linear combinations of multiplication operators are called elementary operators. It is shown that \(M_{A,B}(\mathbb B(X))\subset\mathbb K(X)\) iff \(A\) or \(B\) is `compact'. In order to characterize the condition that both \(A\) and \(B\) are `compact', the author introduces the concept of a uniformly approximable subset of a \(C^*\)-algebra. The class of uniformly approximable sets contains strictly all totally bounded sets and is contained in the class of bounded sets. It is shown that the image \(M_{A,B}(B_1)\) of the unit ball \(B_1\) of \(\mathbb B(X)\) is a uniformly approximable set iff \(A,B\in\mathbb K(X)\). A similar characterization is obtained for elementary operators. In particular, it is shown for an elementary operator \(\Phi\) that \(\Phi(B_1)\) is separable iff \(\Phi(\mathbb B(X))\subset\mathbb K(X)\).