Stable norms on complex numbers and quaternions (Q1306827)

Let \(N\) be a norm on an associative algebra (over \(\mathbb{R}\)). There are several conditions that can be imposed on \(N\) that are weaker than the submultiplicative condition: \(N(ab) \leq N(a)N(b)\). The norm is: \(m\)-bounded if \(N(a^m) \leq N(a)^m\) (for all \(a\)); strongly stable if it is \(m\)-bounded for all \(m\); and stable if there exists \(\sigma\) such that \(N(a^m) \leq \sigma N(a)^m \forall a,m\). The authors consider \({\mathbb{C}}\) and \({\mathbb{H}}\) (the quaternions) as algebras over \(\mathbb{R}\) and (via the usual representation) as matrix algebras. Among other things they show that for both algebras a norm is stable if and only if it dominates the modulus function which is equivalent to saying that it dominates the spectral radius (when the elements are thought of as matrices). They show that for each \(m \geq 2\) an \(m\)-bounded norm is stable but that the converse is false (so there are stable norms that are not strongly stable). A seminorm is proper if it is not identically zero but is zero for some non-zero \(a\). It is shown that there are neither stable nor \(m\)-bounded proper seminorms on \(\mathbb{C}\) nor on \(\mathbb{H}\).