On the Gleason-Kahane-Żelazko theorem for associative algebras (Q2102752)

Let \(A\) be a unital algebra over a field \(F\). The algebra \(A\) is said to have the Gleason-Kahane-Żelazko (GKZ) property if every linear functional \(\Lambda:A\to F\) not vanishing on units, and such that \(\Lambda (\textbf{1})=1\), is multiplicative, that is, \(\Lambda (ab)=\Lambda(a) \Lambda (b)\) for all \(a,b\in A\). The classical Gleason-Kahane-Żelazko theorem states that a linear functional on a complex Banach algebra not vanishing on units, and such that \(\Lambda (\textbf{1})=1\), is multiplicative. In this paper the authors study the GKZ property for associative unital algebras, especially for function algebras. In a GKZ algebra \(A\) over a field of at least 3 elements, and having an ideal of codimension 1, every element is a finite sum of units. A real or complex algebra with just countably many maximal left (right) ideals, is a GKZ algebra. If \(A\) is a commutative algebra, then the localization \(A_P\) is a GKZ -algebra for every prime ideal \(P\) of \(A\). Hence the GKZ property is not a local-global property. The class of GKZ algebras is closed under homomorphic images. Let \(X\) be a non-empty set, the set of all functions \(X \to F\) is denoted by \(F^X\). \(F^X\) is an \(F\)-algebra under addition and multiplication defined componentwise. If a function algebra \(A \subseteq F^X\) over a subfield \(F\) of the complex numbers $\mathbb C$ contains all the bounded functions in \(F^X\), then each element of \(A\) is a sum of two units. If \(A\) contains also a discrete function, then \(A\) is a GKZ algebra. The authors prove that the algebra of periodic distributions, and the unitization of the algebra of distributions with support in \((0,\infty)\) satisfy the GKZ property, while the algebra of compactly supported distributions does not.