Aluthge transforms of complex symmetric operators (Q930450)

Let \(\mathcal{H}\) be a complex Hilbert space and \(T\) a bounded linear operator on \(\mathcal{H}\). If \(T = U| T|\) denotes the polar decomposition of a bounded linear operator \(T\), then the Aluthge transform [\textit{A.\ Aluthge}, Integral\ Equations\ Operator\ Theory 13, No.\ 3, 307--315 (1990; Zbl 0718.47015)] of \(T\) is defined to be the operator \(\widetilde{T} = |T|^\frac{1}{2}U |T|^\frac{1}{2}\). Moreover, a bounded linear operator \( T\) on a complex Hilbert space \( \mathcal{H}\) is called complex symmetric if \( T = CT^*C\), where \( C\) is a conjugation (an isometric, antilinear involution of \( \mathcal{H}\)). The author studies the relationship between the Aluthge transform and the class of complex symmetric operators, proving: (1) the Aluthge transform of a complex symmetric operator is complex symmetric, (2) if \(T\) is complex symmetric, then \((\widetilde{T})^*\) and \(\widetilde{(T^*)}\) are unitarily equivalent, (3) if \(T\) is complex symmetric, then \(\widetilde{T} = T\) if and only if \(T\) is normal, (4) \(\widetilde{T} = 0\) if and only if \(T^{2} = 0\), and (5) every operator which satisfies \(T^{2} = 0\) is necessarily complex symmetric.