Generalized weak peripheral multiplicativity in algebras of Lipschitz functions (Q1955616)

For a compact metric space \((X, d_X)\) with a distinguished so-called base point \(e_X\), we denote by \(\text{Lip}_0(X)\) the corresponding pointed Lipschitz algebra, i.e., the algebra of all \(\mathbb K\)-valued Lipschitz functions on \(X\) which vanish at the base point. The Lipschitz constant is a norm on \(\text{Lip}_0(X)\) making it a so-called weak Banach algebra. The peripheral range of a function \(f\) in \(\text{Lip}_0(X)\) is the set \(\text{Ran}_\pi(f)\) of all range values of \(f\) of maximum modulus. The main result of the paper reads as follows. If \((X,d_X)\) and \((Y, d_Y)\) are compact metric spaces with distinguished base points \(e_X,e_Y\) and \(T_1, T_2 : \text{Lip}_0(X) \to \text{Lip}_0(Y)\) and \(S_1, S_2 : \text{Lip}_0(X) \to \text{Lip}_0(X)\) are surjective transformations (linearity is not assumed) such that \(\text{Ran}_\pi(T_1(f)T_2(g))\cap \text{Ran}_\pi(S_1(f)S_2(g))\neq \emptyset\) for all \(f, g \in \text{Lip}_0(X)\), then there are functions \(\varphi_1,\varphi_2:Y\to \mathbb K\) with \(\varphi_1(y)\varphi_2(y)=1\) for all \(y \in Y\) and a base point-preserving Lipschitz homeomorphism \(\psi: Y \to X\) such that \(T_j (f)(y) = \varphi_j (y)S_j (f)( \psi(y))\) for all \(f\in \text{Lip}_0(X)\), \(y \in Y\), and \(j = 1, 2\). In particular, if \(S_1\) and \(S_2\) are identity functions, then \(T_1\) and \(T_2\) are weighted composition operators. The theorem extends several former results concerning so-called peripherally multiplicative or weakly peripherally multiplicative transformations on pointed Lipschitz algebras. The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 contains basic material on Lipschitz algebras and some preliminary results that hold in general (pointed) Lipschitz algebras, including a new characterization of Lipschitz functions in terms of sequences of function values. Results characterizing jointly weakly peripherally multiplicative maps are outlined in Section 3, the proof of the main theorem is given in Section 4. Some of its immediate corollaries -- including sufficient conditions to ensure that \(T_1\) and \(T_2\) are sup-norm isometric algebra isomorphisms -- conclude the paper.