When a sum of idempotents or projections is a multiple of the identity (Q5930980)

Let \(L(H)\) be the space of bounded operators on a separable Hilbert space \(H\), \(Q\) an idempotent in \(H\) and \(P\) a projection. In the paper the authors study the sets \(\Lambda_1\subset\cdots\subset \Lambda_n= \{\lambda\in{\mathcal C}|\) there exist idempotents \(Q_1,\dots, Q_n\) such that \(\sum^n_{k=1} Q_k= \lambda\cdot I\}\subset \Lambda_{n+1}\subset\cdots\subset \Lambda_\infty= \bigcup^\infty_{n=1} A_n\subset{\mathcal C}\) and the sets \(\Sigma_1\subset\cdots\subset \Sigma_n= \{\alpha\in {\mathcal R}|\) there are projections \(P_1,\dots, P_n\) such that \(\sum^n_{k=1} P_k= \alpha\cdot I\}\subset \Sigma_{n+ 1}\subset\cdots\subset \Sigma_\infty= \bigcup^\infty_{n=1} \Sigma_n\subset{\mathcal R}\). (I denotes the identity operator.) Main results of the paper: 1. \(\Sigma_n\subset \{0,1,1+{1\over n-1}, [1+{1\over n-2}, n-1-{1\over n-2}]\), \(n-{1\over n-1}, n-1,n\}\). 2. \(\Sigma_1= \Lambda_1= \{0, 1\}\subset \Sigma_2= \Lambda_2= \{0,1,2\}\subset \Sigma_3= \Lambda_3= \{0,1,3/2,2,3\}\subset \Sigma_4= \Lambda_4= \{0,1,2\pm{1\over k} (k\geq 2), 2,2\pm{2\over 2k+1} (k\in{\mathcal N})0, 3,4\}\). 3. \(\Lambda_5= \Lambda_\infty={\mathcal C}\). 4. If \(n\geq 6\), then \(\Sigma_n\supset \{0,1,1+{k\over k(n- 3)+ 2} (k\in{\mathcal N}), [1+ {1\over n-3}, n-1-{1\over n-3}], n- 1-{k\over k(n- 3)+ 2} (k\in{\mathcal N}, n-1,n\}\). The results are obtained by investigating representations of algebras \({\mathcal C}\langle q_1,\dots, q_n|q^2_k= q_k\), \([\sum^n_{j=1} q_j, q_k]= 0\), \(k= 1,\dots, n\rangle\) and \(*\)-algebras \({\mathcal C}\langle p_1,\dots, p_n|p^2_k= p^*_k= p_k, [\sum^n_{j=1} p_j, p_k]= 0, k= 1,\dots, n\rangle\) and their application to operator algebras.