On the topological stable rank of non-selfadjoint operator algebras (Q2482692)

A striking result is obtained by the authors in this paper. It says that there exists a unital Banach algebra with its left (topological) stable rank infinity and its right stable rank two, where such an example is provided by a certain class of nest algebras. This solves negatively a question of \textit{M.\,A.\thinspace Rieffel} [Proc.\ Lond.\ Math.\ Soc., III.\,Ser.\ 46, 301--333 (1983; Zbl 0533.46046)]: whether or not the left and right stable ranks are the same for unital Banach algebras, while it has been known that the stable ranks are the same for \(C^*\)-algebras. Furthermore, it is shown that both the left and right stable ranks are infinity in many other classes of nest algebras and noncommutative operator algebras generated by isometries. [See also the erratum in ibid., No.\,4, 963--964 (2008; Zbl 1142.46323).]