Projective spaces of a \(C^*\)-algebra (Q1580918)

For a projection \(p\) in a \(C^*\)-algebra \(A\) the authors define the projective space \(P(p)\) as the quotient space of the set \(K_p\) of partial isometries of \(A\) with initial space \(p\) by the following equivalence relation: \(v_1\sim v_2\) in \(K_p\) if there exists a unitary \(u\in pAp\) such that \(v_1=v_2u\). A natural \(C^\infty\) manifold structure and natural metrics are defined on \(P(p)\) and it is shown that \(P(p)\) is diffeomorphic to the Grassmann manifold \(E_p\) of all projections in \(A\) that are equivalent to \(p\) and that the chordal (resp. spherical) metric on \(P(p)\) can be identified with the metric induced by the norm (resp. the geodesic metric) on \(E_p\). Among several metrical results it is shown that geodesics are unique and of minimal length when measured with the spherical metric.