Nonlinear maps preserving Jordan triple \(\eta\)-\(\ast\)-products (Q2352862)

Let \(A\) be a \(C^*\)-algebra. For a non-zero number \(\eta\in {\mathbb C}\), the Jordan \(\eta\)-\(\ast\)-product in \(A\) is given by \(a\diamond_\eta b=ab+\eta ba^*\). Note that this product is not necessarily associative. In recent years, the (not necessarily linear) preservers of the Jordan \(\eta\)-\(\ast\)-product have been studied intensively. For instance, the following is known. Let \(\Phi\) be a bijection between two von Neumann algebras \(A\) and \(B\), one of which has no central abelian projections, such that \(\Phi(a\diamond_\eta b)=\Phi(a)\diamond_\eta \Phi( b)\) for all \(a, b\in A\). If \(\eta\in {\mathbb R}\), then \(\Phi\) is a sum of a linear \(\ast\)-isomorphism and a conjugate linear \(\ast\)-isomorphism. On the other hand, if \(\eta \not\in {\mathbb R}\), then \(\Phi\) is a linear \(\ast\)-isomorphism. In the paper under review, mappings \(\Phi\) which preserve the Jordan triple \(\eta\)-\(\ast\)-product, i.e., \(\Phi(a\diamond_\eta b\diamond_\eta c)=\Phi(a)\diamond_\eta \Phi( b)\diamond_\eta \Phi(c)\), are studied. The main result of the paper reads as follows. Let \(A\) and \(B\) be two von Neumann algebras, one of which has no central abelian projections, and let \(\eta \neq -1\) be a non-zero complex number. If \(\Phi: A\to B\) is a bijection which maps the identity of \(A\) into the identity of \(B\), then \(\Phi\) preserves the Jordan triple \(\eta\)-\(\ast\)-product if and only if one of the following holds: (a) \(\eta \in {\mathbb R}\) and there exists a central projection \(p\in A\) such that \(\Phi(p)\) is a central projection in \(B\), \(\Phi|_{Ap}: Ap \to B\Phi(p)\) is linear \(\ast\)-isomorphism and \(\Phi|_{A(1-p)}:A(1-p)\to B(1-\Phi(p))\) is a conjugate linear \(\ast\)-isomorphism; (b) \(\eta \not\in {\mathbb R}\) and \(\Phi\) is linear \(\ast\)-isomorphism.