On the \(S\)-universal elementary operators (Q306455)

Let \({\mathcal B}(H)\) be the Banach algebra of all bounded linear operators on a complex Hilbert space \(H\). For \(n\)-tuples \(\bar{A}=(A_1, \dots, A_n)\) and \(\bar{B}=(B_1, \dots, B_n)\) of operators in \({\mathcal B}(H)\), an elementary operator \(R_{\bar{A},\bar{B}}\) on \({\mathcal B}(H)\) is defined by \(R_{\bar{A},\bar{B}}(X)=\sum_{i=1}^{n}A_i X B_i\) \((X\in {\mathcal B}(H))\). It is clear that \(R_{\bar{A},\bar{B}}\) is bounded. Moreover, if \((J, \| \cdot \|_J)\) is a norm ideal in \({\mathcal B}(H)\), then the restriction \(R_{J,\bar{A},\bar{B}}\) of \(R_{\bar{A},\bar{B}}\) to \(J\) is a bounded linear operator. A special type of elementary operators are multiplication operators \(M_{A,B}\). Here, \(A, B \in {\mathcal B}(H)\) are given and \(M_{A,B}(X)=AXB\) for every \(X\in {\mathcal B}(H)\). The norm problem of an elementary operator \(R_{J,\bar{A},\bar{B}}\) consists in finding a formula which describes the norm of \(R_{J,\bar{A},\bar{B}}\) in terms of its coefficients. For \(J={\mathcal B}(H)\), this problem was solved by \textit{R. M. Timoney} [J. Oper. Theory 57, No. 1, 121--145 (2007; Zbl 1150.47025)]. However, the problem of evaluating the norm of \(R_{\bar{A},\bar{B}}\) when it is restricted to a given norm ideal is still open, and the known results concern only very special cases of elementary operators. An elementary operator \(R_{\bar{A},\bar{B}}\) is said to be \(S\)-universal if the norm of \(R_{J, \bar{A},\bar{B}}\) is independent of the choice of the ideal \(J\). This paper concerns norm equalities for the restriction of an elementary operator to a uniform norm ideal. First the author proves some general upper and lower estimates for the norm of the elementary operator \(R_{J, \bar{A},\bar{B}}\) for a given norm ideal \(J\). Examples of elementary operators, other than derivations, which are \(S\)-universal are provided. In the second part of the paper, sums of two multiplication operators are considered. Equivalent conditions for \(\| M_{J, A,b}+M_{J, C, D}\|=\| A\| \| B\|+\| C\| \| D\|\), where \(A, B, C, D \in {\mathcal B}(H)\), are given. In the end, S-universal generalized derivations are characterized.