No label defined (Q4040462)

Let A be a normed algebra. For elements a, b in A, the operator \(M_{a,b}\) denotes the multiplication operator defined by \(M_{a,b}(x)=axb\). A linear combination S of multiplication operators written as \(S=\sum^{n}_{j=1}M_{a_ j,b_ j}\), is called an elementary operator of length n. The present thesis investigates the theory of elementary operators on ultraprime normed (Banach and \(C^*\)- )algebras. In this setting, the author derives many results proved before in case \(A=L(E)\) for a Banach or Hilbert space E, the Calkin algebra or for those elementary operators of special type such as derivations, too many to cite here related literature. The algebra A is said to be ultraprime if its ultrapower algebra \(\hat A_ U\) with respect to a free ultrafilter U on \({\mathbb{N}}\), the natural integers, is a prime algebra. In case A being a \(C^*\)-algebra, this coincides with the usual primeness. The article consists of seven chapters with two appendices about ultraproducts and joint spectra. After three preliminary chapters, the author presents in Chapter 4 treating the identity \(S=0\) one of his main results (Theorem 4.2): Let A be a ultraprime normed algebra and let \(S=\sum^{n}_{j=1}M_{a_ j,b_ j}\). Assume that \(\{b_ 1,...,b_ m\}\) is a maximal linearly independent subset of \(\{b_ j\}\) and that \(\lambda_{jk}\) are complex numbers such that \(b_ j=\sum^{m}_{k=1}\lambda_{jk}b_ k\) for \(m+1\leq j\leq m\). Then the following are equivalent: (a) \(S=0\), \(a_ k=-\sum^{n}_{j=m+1}\lambda_{jk}a_ j\) for \(1\leq k\leq m\). In case \(m=n\), condition (b) should be understood as \(a_ k=0\) for all k. Chapter 5 concerns with the positivity of elementary operators, thus working on a prime \(C^*\)-algebra A. Here the form of a completely positive elementary operator S is determined as \(S=\sum^{n}_{j=1}M_{c^*_ j,c_ j}\) choosing appropriate \(\{c_ j\}\) (Theorem 5.5). The author also determines the standard form of S which is (n-1)-positive but not n-positive. In chapter 6, the author discusses mainly relations between the compactness of the operator S and properties of \(\{a_ j\}\), \(\{b_ j\}\) in connection with the set of compact elements K(A) of A (an element a is said to be compact if the operator \(M_{a,a}\) is a compact operator). The last chapter 7 treats the spectra of elementary operators. Here, employing the notion of the joint spectra due to \textit{R. E. Harte} [Proc. R. Ir. Acad. 72A, 89-107 (1972; Zbl 0231.47001)], the author determines relevant joint spectra of the operator \(S=\sum^{n}_{j=1}M_{a_ j,b_ j}\) for commuting n-tuples \(\{a_ j\}\), \(\{b_ j\}\) in an ultraprime unital Banach algebra (Theorem 7.8).