On derivations of algebras with involution (Q858097)

A classical result of Herstein states that any Jordan derivation on a 2-torsion free prime ring is a derivation, which has many variations and generalizations. One of these is due to \textit{M. Brešar} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 104, No. 4, 1003--1006 (1988; Zbl 0691.16039)]: an additive mapping \(D\) on a 2-torsion free semiprime ring with \(D(xyx)=D(x)yx+xD(y)x+xyD(x)\) is a derivation. The aim of the present paper is to reformulate this result in the context of standard operator algebras. A standard operator algebra is an algebra of bounded linear operators on a complex Hilbert space containing all operators of finite rank. The main result of the author is that if the standard operator algebra in question is closed under the adjoint operation then a linear mapping \(D\) with \(D(AA^*A)=D(A)A^*A+AD(A^*)A+AA^*D(A)\), where \(A^*\) is the adjoint operator, is an inner derivation. Moreover, this result has an analogue also in semisimple \(H^*\)-algebras.