Divisibly norm-preserving maps between commutative Banach algebras (Q640280)

The authors prove, among other results, the following theorem. Let \(\rho_A\), respectively \(\tau_B\), be bijections on the commutative unital Banach algebras \(A\) and \(B\) and let \(T:A\to B\) be a surjection. Suppose that \(A\) is semi-simple and that there exists \(\alpha\in\mathbb C\setminus\{0\}\) satisfying \(r[(Tf)\tau_B(Tg)-\alpha]=r[f \rho_A(g)-\alpha]\) for all \(f,g\in A\). Then \(B\) is semi-simple, too, and \(r[(Tf)(Tg)^{-1}-1]= r[fg^{-1}-1]\) for every \(f,g\in A\) with \(g\) invertible. Moreover, \(T(A^{-1})=B^{-1}\) and \(T(1)^{-1}T\) is a real algebra isomorphism. If, in addition, \(T(1)^{-1}T(i)=i\), then \(T(1)^{-1} T\) is a complex algebra isomorphism. It is deduced that if the surjection \(T:A\to B\) satisfies \(\sigma\bigl((Tf)\tau_B(Tg)\bigr)=\sigma(f\rho_A(g))\), then the semi-simplicity of \(A\) again implies the one of \(B\) and the Gelfand transforms can be represented as follows: \(\widehat{Tf} (y)=\widehat{T1} (y)\hat f(\Phi(y))\), \((y\in M_B)\), where \(\Phi\) is some homeomorphism from \(M_B\) onto \(M_A\).