Comparison of the product structures in algebraic and in topological \(K\)-theory (Q1887380)

In a previous paper [\textit{M. Matthey} and \textit{H. Oyono-Oyono}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 85, 43--61 (2002; Zbl 1011.19004)] the authors give a computation related to the algebraic \(K\)-theory in low degree. As an application of this computation, in this paper the compatibility up to sign of the external and the internal product structures in algebraic and in topological \(K\)-theory of unital Banach algebras is established in the case of total degree \(\leq 2\). This compatibility is related to the canonical and natural maps associated to a unital Banach algebra over \({\mathbb{C}},A\): \(\phi^a_i=\phi_i:K_i^{alg}(A)\to K_i(A)\) in the sense of the following main theorem of the paper: Let \(A\) and \(B\) be two unital Banach algebras. Then the diagram \[ \begin{matrix} K^{\text{alg}}_p(A)\otimes K^{alg}_q(B) &\buildrel{*}\over{\longrightarrow} & K^{\text{alg}}_{p+q}(A\otimes_{\mathbb{Z}}B)\\ \phi_p\otimes\phi_q \downarrow & & \downarrow (-1)^{pq}\hat{\phi}_{p+q}\\ K_p(A)\otimes K_q(B) & \buildrel{\times}\over{\longrightarrow} & K_{p+q}(A\hat{\otimes}B)\end{matrix} \] commutes for \(p,q\geq 0\) satisfying \(p+q\leq 2\). (Here, by \(*\) and \(\times\) are denoted, respectively, the external products in algebraic and topological \(K\)-theory of unital Banach algebras or internal products in such theories for commutative unital Banach algebras). As a corollary, the open question of \textit{J. W. Milnor} from his book ``Introduction to algebraic \(K\)-theory'' [Ann. Math. Stud. 72 (1971; Zbl 0237.18005)], p. 67, is answered.