The structure of the set of idempotents in a Banach algebra (Q1186674)

The author studies the algebraic, geometric and analytic structure of the set of idempotents in a Banach algebra. More precisely, let \(X\) be a (real or complex) Banach algebra, \(E=\{e\in X:e^ 2=e\}\) the subset of idempotents and \(C(e)\) the connected component of \(E\) which contains \(e\). For \(e\in E\) define projections \(P_ e\) and \(Q_ e\) on \(X\) by \(P_ e(x)=xe-exe\) and \(Q_ e(x)=ex-exe\). The affine subspaces \(e+im P_ e\) and \(e+im Q_ e\) are subsets of \(C(e)\). The function \(F_ e(x)=e+Q_ e(x)+P_{e+Q_ e(x)}(P_ e(x))\) maps \(im(P_ e+Q_ e)\) into \(C(e)\). One shows that \(F_ e(x)=e+x+xex-ex^ 2e-ex^ 2ex\) and that \(F_ e\) is a local homeomorphism from a neighborhood of 0 in \(T_ e=im(P_ e+Q_ e)\) onto a neighborhood of \(e\) in \(C(e)\). Using \(T_ e\) as tangent space to \(C(e)\) at \(e\) and the functions \(F_ e\) as charts \(C(e)\) becomes an analytic manifold. Since the restrictions \(F_ e/im P_ e\) resp. \(F_ e/im Q_ e\) are affine homeomorphisms onto the affine subspaces \(e+im P_ e\) resp. \(e+im Q_ e\) the manifold \(C(e)\) is a generalized saddle. Finally, if \(X\) contains a unit then \(C(e)\) is a homogeneous space, i.e. a quotient of a (possibly infinite dimensional) Lie group by a Lie subgroup. The description of the set of idempotents in a Banach algebra was started by \textit{J. Zemánek} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 11, 177-183 (1979; Zbl 0429.46029)].