Fixed point properties of semigroups of nonexpansive mappings (Q971834)

A dual Banach space \(X\) has the weak\(^*\) fixed point property for left reversible semigroups if whenever \(S\) is a left reversible semigroup and \(K\) is a nonempty weak\(^*\) compact convex subset of \(X\) for which the action of \(S\) on \(K\) (with the norm topology) is separately continuous and nonexpansive, then \(K\) has a common fixed point for \(S\). A similar definition can be given for a Banach space to have the weak fixed point property for left reversible semigroups. The weak\(^*\) (respectively, weak) fixed point property for left reversible semigroups is easily seen to be stronger than the usual weak\(^*\) (respectively, weak) fixed point property for nonexpansive mappings. In the article under review, the author considers fixed point properties related to actions of left reversible semigroups on subsets of certain classes of noncommutative \(L^1\)-spaces. The main result of the paper is that the ideal of trace class operators on a Hilbert space has the weak\(^*\) fixed point property for left reversible semigroups. This answers a question posed by \textit{A.\,T.-M.\thinspace Lau} and \textit{P.\,F.\thinspace Mah} [J.\ Funct.\ Anal.\ 258, No.\,2, 357--372 (2010; Zbl 1185.43002)] and generalizes a result of \textit{C.\,L.\thinspace Lennard} [Proc.\ Am.\ Math.\ Soc.\ 109, No.\,1, 71--77 (1990; Zbl 0758.46017)] that the ideal of trace class operators on a Hilbert space has the weak\(^*\) fixed point property. The author also improves some of the results in Lau and Mah's article by giving necessary and sufficient conditions for the Fourier-Stieltjes algebra and the Fourier algebra of a locally compact group to have the weak fixed point property for left reversible semigroups. Finally, the author proves that if \(\mathcal{M}\) is a finite von Neumann algebra, then any nonempty closed bounded convex subset of the noncommutative \(L^1\)-space associated to \(\mathcal{M}\) that is compact for the measure topology has the fixed point property for left reversible semigroups.