The Stiefel bundle of a Banach algebra (Q5952396)

A topological algebra \(A\) is a Banachable algebra if its underlying vector space structure is a Banach space in which the multiplication is continuous. Let \(P(A)\) denote the set of idempotents in a Banachable algebra. Define \(p \sim q\) in \(P(A)\) if and only if \(pq=q\) and \(qp=p\). The resulting set of equivalence classes is the Grassmannian Gr\((A)\) of \(A\). A subset \(V(A)\) of \(A\) is introduced, modeled on the partial isomorphisms of \(A\) whose domain and range are images of elements of \(A\). \(V(A)\) contains \((P(A)\) and the natural map Im: \(V(A) \rightarrow P(A)\) extends to a well-defined map (denoted the same) Im: \(V(A) \rightarrow Gr(A)\). Specializing to the similarity class Sim\((p, A)\) of a fixed projection \(p\) in \(A\), leads to the Stiefel bundle \(V(p, A) \rightarrow Gr(p, A)\), which is a locally trivial analytic principal bundle. It is shown that the spaces \(V(p, A)\) and \(Gr(p, A)\) have the same analytic structure as for those in \textit{H. Porta} and \textit{L. Pecht} [Acta Cient. Venez. 38, No. 4, 408-426 (1987; Zbl 0652.46032)]. The problem of extendability of a continuous family of subspaces to a globally smooth family parametrized by a certain subset of a Banach space then has a general solution in terms of the sections \(V(p,A)\). The paper concludes with an application of the results to bounded linear operators of a Banach space. In particular, the problem of smooth parametrization of subspaces can be reduced to one involving the smooth extension of sections.