Local derivations (Q1813652)

The main result of this paper is: Theorem A. If \(\delta\) is a norm-continuous linear map of a von Neumann algebra \({\mathcal R}\) into a dual \({\mathcal R}\)- bimodule \({\mathcal M}\) with the property that for each \(A\) in \({\mathcal R}\) there is a (norm-continuous) derivation \(\delta_ A\) such that \(\delta(A)=\delta_ A(A)\), then \(\delta\) is itself a derivation. In the above theorem, \(\delta\) is an example of a local derivation. It follows from the above that: Theorem B. If \(\delta\) is a norm-continuous linear mapping of a von Neumann algebra \({\mathcal R}\) into itself such that, for each \(A\) in \({\mathcal R}\), there is a \(T_ A\) in \({\mathcal R}\) for which \(\delta(A)=AT_ A-T_ A A\), then there is a \(T\) in \({\mathcal R}\) such that \(\delta(A)=AT-TA\) for all \(A\) in \({\mathcal R}\). The proof is interesting and the result is new even in finite dimensions. Examples are given of local derivations which are not derivations (both finite and infinite dimensional examples). We note in closing that the author proves that every local derivation of the polynomial in \(n\) variables over \(\mathbb{C}\) into the polynomials in \(m\) variables over \(\mathbb{C}\) is a derivation if \(n\leq m\). (The list of \(m\) variables contains the list of \(n\) variables.).