Preduals of semigroup algebras (Q2267775)

Let \(G\) be a locally compact group. Then the measure algebra \(M(G)\) has a canonical predual, namely \(C_0(G)\). In earlier work [Houston J. Math. 35, No.~1, 253--276 (2009; Zbl 1205.43002)], the authors proved that \(C_0(G)\) is the only predual of \(M(G)\) with the property that both the multiplication as well as the co-multiplication of \(M(G)\) is continuous with respect to the weak* topology. In the paper under review, replace \(M(G)\) by \(\ell^1(S)\) for a semigroup \(S\). Obviously, this Banach algebra has a predual -- namely \(c_0(S)\) --, and the authors investigate its uniqueness. As can be expected, the situation is considerably more complicated than for \(M(G)\). For instance, if \(S\) is \({\mathbb Z}^k_+\) or the free semigroup on \(k\) generators, then \(c_0(S)\) is indeed the unique predual of \(\ell^1(S)\) making both multiplication and co-multiplication weak*-continuous. On the other hand, if \(S\) is \({\mathbb Z}_+ \times {\mathbb Z}\) or the multiplicative semigroup of \({\mathbb N}\), then \(\ell^1(S)\) has a continuum of such preduals. For other \(S\), however, there is even no such predual. The paper concludes with the nice result that, for \(S = ({\mathbb N}, \max)\), the space \(c_0(S)\) is the unique predual making multiplication weak* continuous.