Linear maps preserving zero products on nest subalgebras of von Neumann algebras (Q2576224)

The authors characterize the algebra isomorphisms between nest subalgebras of a factor von Neumann algebra associated to nontrivial nests by a preserver property. Namely, this is the preservation of zero products in both directions (together with the preservation of the unit). More precisely, the main result (Theorem 2.1) of the present paper reads as follows. Let \(M\) be a factor von Neumann algebra acting on a separable Hilbert space. Let \(\beta\) and \(\gamma\) be two nontrival nets in \(M\). Consider a surjective linear map \(\Phi\) from the nest subalgebra \(\text{alg}_M \beta\) of \(M\) associated to \(\beta\) onto \(\text{alg}_M \gamma\). Suppose that \(\Phi\) is unital and preserves zero products in both directions, i.e., \(\Phi(I)=I\) and \(AB=0\) if and only if \(\Phi(A)\Phi(B)=0\) for arbitrary \(A,B\in \text{alg}_M \beta\). Then \(\Phi\) is an algebra isomorphism, i.e., we have \(\Phi(AB)=\Phi(A)\Phi(B)\) for all \(A,B\in \text{alg}_M \beta\). A similar result characterizing Jordan algebra isomorphisms via the preservation of zero Jordan products is also presented.