Positive elements and automatic continuity of algebra morphisms (Q931345)

A locally convex algebra (l.c.a) is a locally convex space with a separately continuous multiplication. An l.m.c.a. is a locally convex algebra where the defining seminorms \((p_{\alpha})\) satisfy \(p_\alpha(xy)\leq p_{\alpha}(x)\,p_{\alpha}(y)\) for all \(x\), \(y\) and \(\alpha\). A unital algebra \(A\) is a \(Q\) algebra if the set of its invertible elements is open in \(A\). An l.c.a. with a continuous involution is denoted by \(*\)-l.c.a.. The authors show that every \(*\)-morphism from a \(*\)-l.c.a \(A\) with continuous product into a Hermitian l.c.a. \(B\) is continuous whenever the set of positive elements of \(B\) is a normal cone. This latter condition is satisfied in every \(C*\)-algebra. The authors also give a result on the uniqueness of the topology for Hermitian l.m.c.a with a specific cone of positive elements.They obtain also that every \(\star\)-morphism from a \(Q\)-\(*\)-l.c.a.\(A\), with continuous inverse and product, into a commutative GB*-algebra is continuous. For the non-involutive case, they consider, in an l.c.a. \(B\), the set \(B_+^i=\{x\in B :Sp(x)\subset \mathbb R_+ +i\mathbb R_+ \}\). If \(B_+^i\) is a normal cone, then every morphism from a \(Q\)-l.c.a. \(A\) into the algebra \(B\) is continuous. Consequences and applications are also given.