Linear maps between Banach algebras compressing certain spectral functions (Q1880820)

A linear map \(\Phi:{\mathcal A}\to {\mathcal B}\) between two unital Banach algebras is said to be \(\sigma(\cdot)\)-compressing (respectively, preserving) if \(\sigma(\Phi(T))\subset\sigma(T)\) (respectively, \(\sigma(\Phi(T))=\sigma(T)\)) for every \(T\in A,\) where \(\sigma(T)\) denotes the spectrum of \(T.\) One defines in a similar way compressing or preserving maps with respect to various other sets associated to the spectrum. In this paper, the authors obtain several interesting results concerning the structure of compressing surjective linear maps on Banach algebras. For instance, in the case of semi-simple Banach algebras it is shown that any surjective linear map compressing one of the following spectral functions, namely the spectrum, its boundary or its polynomially convex hull, the left or the right spectrum or their intersection, is preserving the idempotents (Theorem 2.2). In the case when \({\mathcal A}\) is a \(C^*\)-algebra of real rank zero (in particular, a von Neumann algebra), the authors show that any such map is a Jordan homomorphism (Theorem 3.1). Also, for the case of linear compressing maps acting between operator algebras on Banach spaces containing all finite-rank operators, the authors obtain more precise structure results (Theorems 4.1 and 4.4). The results in this paper are related to previous work by \textit{B. Aupetit} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 62, No. 3, 917--924 (2000; Zbl 1070.46504)], \textit{B. Aupetit} and \textit{H. du T. Mouton} [Stud. Math. 109, No. 1, 91--100 (1994; Zbl 0829.46039)], \textit{M. Brešar} and \textit{P. Šemrl} [Mich. Math. J. 45, No. 3, 483--488 (1998; Zbl 0961.47040)], \textit{A. A. Jafarian} and \textit{A. R. Sourour} [J. Funct. Anal. 66, 255--261 (1989; Zbl 0589.47003)] and \textit{A. R. Sourour} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 348, No. 1, 13--30 (1996; Zbl 0843.47023)].