Norms of commutators of self-adjoint operators (Q2481884)

Let \(A_1\) and \(A_2\) be self-adjoint elements of the algebra \(B(H)\) of all bounded linear operators acting on a Hilbert space \(H\), let \(\alpha_i=\min\{\lambda: \lambda \in \text{sp}(A_i)\}\), \(\beta_i=\max\{\lambda: \lambda \in \text{sp}(A_i)\}\), \(i=1,2\). The authors use a known fact of \textit{J.\,G.\thinspace Stampfli} [Pac.\ J.\ Math.\ 33, 737--747 (1970; Zbl 0197.10501)] to show that if \(\alpha_1+\beta_1 \leq \alpha_2 + \beta_2\), then \(\| A_1X-XA_2\|\leq\frac{1}{2}(\beta_2-\alpha_1)\| X\| \) for each \(X\in B(H)\). From this, they deduce some known theorems on norm of commutators of selfadjoint operators. In particular, they show that, if \(A\) or \(B\) is positive, then \(\| AB-BA\|\leq\| A\|\,\| B\|\) [cf.\ \textit{F.\,Kittaneh}, Math.\ Z.\ 258, No.\,4, 845--849 (2008; Zbl 1139.47009), see the precedings review] and, if \(A\) and \(B\) are positive, then \(\| AB-BA\| \leq \frac{1}{2}\| A\| \,\| B\| \) [cf.\ \textit{F.\,Kittaneh}, J.~Funct.\ Anal.\ 250, No.\,1, 132--143 (2007; Zbl 1131.47009)].