Power boundedness in Fourier and Fourier-Stieltjes algebras and other commutative Banach algebras (Q2429767)

An element \(a\) of a Banach algebra \(A\) is said to be power bounded if \(\sup_{n\in\mathbb N}\| a^n\|<\infty\). It is clear that the spectral radius \(r(a)\) of such an element is at most one, and \(A\) is said to have the power boundedness property if \(a\) is power bounded whenever \(a\in A\) is such that \(r(a)\leq 1\). Let \(G\) be a locally compact group and let \(A(G)\) and \(B(G)\) be the Fourier and the Fourier-Stieltjes algebras of \(G\), respectively. The authors are concerned with the question of finding criteria, in terms of the group structure, for the algebras \(A(G)\) and \(B(G)\) to have the power boundedness property. As a matter of fact, it is shown that \(A(G)\) has the power boundedness property if and only if \(G\) is discrete and \(B(G)\) has that property just in the case when \(G\) is finite. The paper is also devoted to characterize the power bounded elements of the algebras \(A(G)\) and \(B(G)\).