Unit-free contractive projection theorems for \(C^\ast\)-, \(JB^\ast\)-, and \(JB\)-algebras (Q777141): Difference between revisions

For a (possibly non-associative) complete normed algebra \(A\), the range of any contractive linear projection \(\pi :A\to A\) becomes a complete normed algebra under the restriction of the norm of \(A\) and the product \(\odot ^\pi\) defined by \(x\odot ^\pi y:=\pi (xy)\) for all \(x,y \in \pi (A)\). The contractive projection problem for a class \(\mathcal{C}\) of complete normed algebras reads as follows: Given an arbitrary member \(A\) of \(\mathcal{C}\), and any contractive linear projection \(\pi:A\to A\) (sometimes subjected to some additional natural requirements), does \((\pi(A),\odot^\pi)\) lie in \(\mathcal{C}\)? It is well known that the contractive projection problem has a negative answer when \(\mathcal{C}\) is the class of all unital \(C^*\)-algebras, and the extra requirement on \(\pi \) is that \(\pi (\mathbf{1})=\mathbf{1}\). Nevertheless, relevant affirmative answers to the contractive projection problem have been proved in the literature for \(C^*\)-algebras and for different classes generalizing the \(C^*\)-algebras (\(JC\)- and \(JB\)-algebras, alternative \(C^*\)-algebras, \(JC^*\)- and \(JB^*\)-algebras, non-commutative \(JB^*\)-algebras, Arazy algebras, and associative or Jordan operator algebras). In the paper under review, it is proved that the contractive projection problem has an affirmative answer in the following cases: \begin{itemize} \item[-] \(\mathcal{C}\) is the class of all commutative \(C^*\)-algebras or that of all non-com\-mutative \(JB^*\)-algebras, and positivity of \(\pi \) is the unique extra requirement on \(\pi \). \item[-] \(\mathcal{C}\) is the class of all \(JB\)-algebras or that of all \(JC\)-algebras, and positivity of \(\pi \) is the unique extra requirement on \(\pi \). \item[-] \(\mathcal{C}\) is the class of all \(C^*\)-algebras or that of all alternative \(C^*\)-algebras, and \(\pi (\pi (a)^*\pi (a))\leq \pi (a^*a)\) for all \(a\in A\in \mathcal{C}\) and positivity of \(\pi \) are the extra requirements on \(\pi \). \item[-] \(\mathcal{C}\) is the class of all non-commutative \(JB^*\)-algebras, that of all \(JC^*\)-algebras, or that of all commutative \(C^*\)-algebras, and the validity of the equality \(\pi (\pi (a) \pi (b)+ \pi (b) \pi (a))=\pi (a\pi (b)+\pi (b)a)\) for all \(a,b\in A\in \mathcal{C}\) is the unique extra requirement on \(\pi \). \item[-] \(\mathcal{C}\) is the class of all \(C^*\)-algebras or that of all alternative \(C^*\)-algebras, and the validity of the equalities \(\pi (\pi (a)\pi (b))=\pi (a\pi (b))=\pi (\pi (a)b)\) for all \(a,b\in A\in \mathcal{C}\) is the unique extra requirement on \(\pi \). \end{itemize} Moreover, the paper contains a full description of positive bi-contractive linear projections on non-commutative \(JB^*\)-algebras, as well as a structure theorem for bi-contractive linear projections (without any extra requirement) on non-commutative \(JBW^*\)-algebras. In addition, bi-contractive linear projections on \(C^*\)-algebras are studied in detail.