On the pre-Hilbertian algebras verifying \(\|a^2\|\leq \|a\|^{2}\) (Q932058)

The authors study those real algebras \(A\) without zero divisors whose underlying vector space is a pre-Hilbert space with norm \(\|\cdot\|\) satisfying \(\| a^2\|\leq \| a\|^2\) for all \(a\in A\). Then, if the algebra falls in one of the following types: {\parindent5mm \begin{itemize}\item[1.] \(A\) is commutative containing a nonzero element \(a\) such that \(\| ax\|=\| a\| \| x\|\) for all \(x\in A\), \item[2.] \(A\) is commutative algebraic and \(\| a^2\|=\| a\|^2\) for all \(a\in A\), \item[3.] \(A\) is alternative containing a unit element \(e\) with \(\| e\|=1\), \item[4.] \(A\) is alternative containing a nonzero central element \(a\) such that \(\| ax\|=\| a\| \| x\|\) for all \(x\in A\), \end{itemize}} they conclude that in the first two cases \(A\) is isomorphic to the field of real numbers, the complex numbers or the paracomplexes real algebra, while in the last two cases \(A\) is isomorphic to the real, complex, quaternion or octonion real division algebras. The techniques used in the paper range from elementary (pre-)Hilbert space theory to the application of certain results such as those of J.\,Petro (1987), the Hopf Commutative Theorem (1991), Frobenius' Theorem, Zorn's Theorem, Artin's theorem for alternative algebras and certain results of B.\,Zalar (1995).