A note about the norm of the sum and the anticommutator of two orthogonal projections (Q2235990)

Assume that \(P_1\) and \(P_2\) are two orthogonal projections on a Hilbert space. It is proved in [\textit{J. Duncan} and \textit{P. J. Taylor}, Proc. R. Soc. Edinb., Sect. A, Math. 75, 119--129 (1976; Zbl 0331.46050)] that equality \(\| P_1 + P_2 \| = 1 + \| P_1 P_2\|\) holds, whenever \(P_1 \neq 0\) or \(P_2 \neq 0\). \textit{S. Walters} [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 446, No. 2, 1356--1361 (2017; Zbl 1361.46049)] proved that the norm of the anticommutator \(\| P_1P_2 + P_2P_1\|\) is a simple quadratic function of the norm \(\|P_1P_2\|\) by showing that \(\| P_1P_2 + P_2P_1\| = \|P_1P_2\|^2 + \|P_1P_2\|\). The main aim of the paper under review is to prove that the latter two equalities are actually equivalent. The author also give a characterization of a pair \(P_1, P_2\) of orthogonal projections with numerical radius of minimum or maximum possible value. The relationship between the numerical radius of a product of two orthogonal projections and the norm of the sum and difference of such projections is investigated as well.