Extensions of positive operators and functionals (Q2259280)

Let \(E\) be a complex Banach space. \(\overline{E}'\) consists of all continuous maps \(\phi\) from \(E\) into \(\mathbb C\) which have the properties: \[ \phi(x + y) = \phi(x) + \phi(y),\quad x, y \in E, \] \[ \phi(\lambda x) = \overline{\lambda}\phi(x),\quad x\in E,\quad \lambda\in \mathbb E. \] \(\overline{E}'\) is called the topological antidual of \(E\). For \(x\in E\) and \(\phi \in \overline{E}'\), let \( \langle\phi, x\rangle = \phi(x)\). \(\overline{E}'\) is a vector space and \(||\phi|| =\sup\{|\langle\phi,x\rangle|: x\in E,\) \(||x||\leq 1\}\) is a norm on \(\overline{E}'\). Moreover, \(\overline{E}'\) is a Banach space with respect to this norm. The canonical map \(E'\rightarrow \overline{E}': f\rightarrow f'\) from the dual of \(E\) into the antidual is one to one, onto, antilinear and isometric with respect to the respective norms. The authors consider a linear operator \(A\) from a linear subspace \(\operatorname{dom} A\) of \(E\) into \(\overline{E}'\) satisfying \(\langle Ax, x \rangle\geq \) for all \(x\in\operatorname{dom} A\). Similar to Hilbert space operators, such operators are called positive. In the main theorem of the paper, they give a constructive characterization of bounded positive extendibility of these operators. They also give characterization of operators with compact or closed range extensions. As an application of the general extension theorem, they present necessary and sufficient conditions for a positive functional defined on a left ideal of a Banach \(^\ast\)-algebra to admit a representable positive extension.