Binormal operator and *-Aluthge transformation (Q2519343)

Let \(T=U|T|\) be the polar decomposition of a bounded linear operator \(T\) acting on a complex Hilbert space. The transformation \(\widetilde T=|T|^{\frac{1}{2}}U|T|^{\frac{1}{2}}\) is called the Aluthge transformation and \(\widetilde T_n\) means the \(n\)-th Aluthge transformation. Also, the transformation \(\widetilde T^{(*)}=|T^*|^{\frac{1}{2}}U|T^*|^{\frac{1}{2}}\) is called the \(\ast\)-Aluthge transformation and \(\widetilde T_n^{(*)}\) means the \(n\)-th \(\ast\)-Aluthge transformation. In the paper under review, the authors show that \(\widetilde T^{(*)}=U|\widetilde T^{(*)}|\) if and only if \(T\) is binormal, i.e., \(|T|\) commutes with \(|T^*|\) and that \(\widetilde T_n^{(*)}\) is binormal for all nonnegative integer \(n\) if and only if \(T\) is centered, in the sense that the sequence \(\dots, T^3(T^3)^*, T^2(T^2)^*, TT^*, T^*T (T^2)^*T^2, (T^3)^*T^3,\dots\) is commutative.