Hilbert \(A\)-modules (Q321854)

The authors study real pre-Hilbert modules \((H,\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle)\) on Archimedean \(f\)-algebras \(A\) with a unit. Such a module \(H\) is self-dual if for each bounded \(A\)-linear map \(f: H\to A\), there exists \(y\in H\) such that \(f(x)=\langle x,y\rangle\) for all \(x\in H\). The authors mainly provide some conditions on \(A\) and \(H\) which render the pre-Hilbert \(A\)-module \(H\) self-dual. They consider the cases when (i) \(A\) is an algebra of \(\mathcal{L}^\infty\) type and so \(H\) can be equipped with some norm topologies; (ii) \(A\) is an \(f\)-algebra of \(\mathcal{L}^0\) type and so \(H\) can be topologized by an invariant metric. Several examples are also presented. The notion of self-duality goes back to works of \textit{I. Kaplansky} [Am. J. Math. 75, 839--858 (1953; Zbl 0051.09101)], \textit{W. L. Paschke} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 182, 443--468 (1973; Zbl 0239.46062)] and \textit{M. Frank} [Z. Anal. Anwend. 9, No. 2, 165--176 (1990; Zbl 0682.46033)]. In addition, \textit{T.-X. Guo} [J. Funct. Spaces Appl. 2013, Article ID 989102, 13 p. (2013; Zbl 1295.46036)] studied self-duality of \(\mathcal{L}^0(\mathcal{G})\)-modules.