Mutations of \(C^*\)-algebras and quasiassociative \(JB^*\)-algebras (Q1114133)

The centroid of an algebra A is the largest ring over which A can be regarded as an algebra. In case A is a \(C^*\)-algebra, the centroid of A also has a natural structure of \(C^*\)-algebra and, for f in the centroid of A with \(0\leq f\leq 1\), the f-mutation of A (denoted \(A^{(f)})\) with the same norm as A is a (complete) normed algebra in the classical sense that the norm is submultiplicative. To be more precise, the algebras \(A^{(f)}\) as above are examples of noncommutative \(JB^*\)-algebras which are split quasiassociative over their centroids. In this note we prove that there are no other examples, thus answering by the desired negative a problem posed in [the author, Manuscr. Math. 61, 297-314 (1988)]. Our proof is strongly based on the main result in that paper and the Dauns-Hofmann theorem.