On \(C^{*}\)-extreme maps and \(*\)-homomorphisms of a commutative \(C^{*}\)-algebra (Q733636)

Given a complex Hilbert space \(H\), the generalised state space of a unital C\(^*\)-algebra, \(A\), denoted \(S_{H}(A)\), is the set of unital, completely positive (linear) operators from \(A\) to the algebra \(B(H)\) of all (bounded linear) operators on \(H\). An element \(\phi\) of \(S_H(A)\) is said to be \(C^*\)-extreme if, whenever \(\phi=\sum^n_{i=1}t^*_i\phi_i(\cdot)t_i\) with invertible \(t_i\) in \(B(H)\) and \(\sum t^*_it_i=1\), then each \(\phi_i\) is unitarily equivalent to \(\phi\) (i.e., there is a unitary \(u \in B(H)\) such that \(\phi (.) = u \phi_i (.)u\)). The general properties of \(C^*\)-extreme points in \(S_H (A)\) were studied by \textit{D.\,R.\thinspace Farenick} and \textit{P.\,B.\thinspace Morenz} in [Trans.\ Am.\ Math.\ Soc.\ 349, No.\,5, 1725--1748 (1997; Zbl 0873.46030)] who established a complete description of the set of \(C^*\)-extreme points in \(S_H (A)\) in each of the following cases: {\parindent6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(a)] \(S_{\ell_2^2}(A)\), where \(A\) is arbitrary; \item[(b)] \(S_{\ell_2^r}(A)\), where \(A\) is commutative; \item[(c)] \(S_{\ell_2^r}(M_{n})\). \end{itemize}} The description obtained in case (b) shows that if \(H\) has finite dimension, then an element \(\phi\) in \(S_{H} ( C(X))\) is a C\(^*\)-extreme point if and only if \(\phi\) is multiplicative. It is also proved that C\(^*\)-extreme points of \(S_{H}(C(X))\) need not be multiplicative when \(H\) is infinite-dimensional. In general, every multiplicative generalised state \(\phi\in S_{H}(C(X))\) is a C\(^*\)-extreme point, independently of the dimension of \(H\). The paper under review presents new advances in the study of \(C^*\)-extreme points in \(S_H (C(X))\). The main result (Theorem 5) gives a new necessary condition for a map \(\phi\) in \(S_{H} (C(X))\) to be a C\(^*\)-extreme point. Indeed, given \(\phi\in S_{H}(C(X))\), let \(\mu_\phi\) denote the unique positive operator-valued measure associated with \(\phi\) (that is, \(\phi(f)=\int_X f \,d\mu_\phi\), for all \(f\in C(X)\)). If \(\phi\) is a C\(^*\)-extreme point of \(S_{ H}(C(X))\), then for every Borel subset \(F\subseteq X\) the operator \(\mu_\phi(F)\) is either a projection, necessarily commuting with \(\phi(C(X))\), or \(\sigma(\mu_\phi(F))=[0,1]\). As a consequence of this result, the author gives a new and shorter proof of the fact, established by Farenick and Morenz, that \(C^*\)-extreme points of \(S_{\ell_2^r}(C(X))\) are \(^*\)-homomorphisms. Another consequence shows that C\(^*\)-extreme operators from \(C(X)\) into \(\mathcal{K}^+\), the algebra generated by the compact and scalar operators on an arbitrary complex Hilbert space \(H\), are multiplicative. The problem of finding a complete characterisation of the \(C^*\)-extreme points of \(S_{H}(C(X))\), for an arbitrary complex Hilbert space \(H\), remains open.