Sums of equivalent sequences of positive operators in von Neumann factors (Q2834137)

Let \(H\) be a complex Hilbert space and \(\mathcal{L}(H)\) denote the \(B^*\)-algebra of all continuous linear operators of \(H\). If \(\Sigma\subseteq \mathcal{L}(H)\), then its commutant \(\Sigma\)' is defined as the set of all \(T\in \mathcal{L}(H)\) satisfying \(ST=TS\) for all \(S\in \Sigma\). A~subalgebra \(M\) of \(\mathcal{L}(H)\) is called a von Neumann algebra if \(M=M''\). Here, \(M\) always denotes a von Neumann algebra of continuous linear operators of \(H\), \(P(M)\) means the set of all projections \(E\) of \(M\) (i.e., \(E^2=E\)) with the order relation \(\leq\) defined by \(E\leq F\) iff \(EF=E\). Moreover, there is the (Murray-von Neumann) equivalence relation \(\sim\) and the order relation \(\prec\) defined as follows: \(E\sim F\) iff there is \(U\in M\) such that \(E=U^*U\) and \(F=UU^*\); \(E\prec F\) iff there is \(E'\in P(M)\) such that \(E\sim E'\leq F\).NEWLINENEWLINEThere are a lot of papers devoted to obtain information about the following questions concerning von Neumann algebras: (1) Which positive operators are linear combinations of projections with positive coefficients? (2) Which positive operators are finite sums of projections?NEWLINENEWLINEThe paper under review is a contribution for solving problems (1) or (2). More precisely, let \(A\) be a positive operator in an infinite \(\sigma\)-finite (i.e., countably decomposable) von Neumann factor \(M\) and let \(\{B_j: j\in \mathbb{N}\}\subseteq M^+\). Then the authors give two conditions such that each of them is sufficient for \(A=\sum(C_j: j\in \mathbb{N})\), for some \(C_j\sim B_j\) with \(j\in \mathbb{N}\).