Positive elements of left amenable Lau algebras (Q2469421)

A Lau algebra is a Banach algebra \(A\) which is the unique predual of a \(W^*\)-algebra \(M\) such that the identity element of \(M\) is a multiplicative linear functional on \(A\). This is equivalent to \(P(A)\), the set of positive linear functionals in \(A\), to form a semigroup with the multiplication of \(A\). In [\textit{F.\,Ghahramani} and \textit{A.\,T.--M.\thinspace Lau}, J.~Funct.\ Anal.\ 150, No.\,2, 478--497 (1997; Zbl 0891.22007)], it was proved that if \(A\) is a left amenable Lau algebra and \(f\in A\) and \(|fg|=|f|g\) for all \(g\in P(A)\), then \(f\) is a scalar multiple of an element in \(P(A)\). In this paper, the authors answer a question of the paper above by providing an example to show that the above result does not hold for all Lau algebras. The authors also provide some characterizations of elements in \(P(A)\).