Segal algebras in commutative Banach algebras (Q404498)

Let \(A\) be a regular Banach function algebra on a non-compact, locally compact space \(X\) such that \(A\) has a bounded approximate identity consisting of compactly supported functions and every nonzero homomorphism from \(A\) to \(\mathbb C\) is of the form \(f\mapsto f(x)\) where \(x\in X\) is unique. The authors define Segal algebras in such Banach algebras \(A\) (and even more generally) to suitably extend Reiter's notion of Segal algebra in the group algebra \(L^1(G)\) of a locally compact abelian group \(G\) (there are, of course, other well-known generalisations). A continuous function \(\tau\) on \(X\) is said to be a local \(A\)-function if \(f\tau\in A\) for every compactly supported \(f\in A\). The authors study local \(A\)-functions and, in particular, introduce a class of Segal algebras based on this notion. More precisely, let \(A_{\tau(n)}\) be the ideal in \(A\) consisting of those \(f\in A\) such that \(f\tau^ k\in A\) for all \(k=0\), \(1\), \(\dots\), \(n\). Then \(A_{\tau(n)}\) is a Segal algebra in \(A\) with respect to the norm \(\|f\|_{\tau(n)} = \sum_{k=0}^ n \|f\tau^ k\|_A\) (the definition also extends to the case \(n=\infty\)). In addition to studying these notions in detail in the general setting, the authors consider the Fourier algebra of a locally compact abelian group as a special case.