Moore-Penrose inverse in rings with involution (Q996296)

Let \(R\) be a ring with involution. An element \(a\in R\) is called regular if there exists an element \(b\in R\) such that \(a=aba\). A regular element \(a \in R\) is called Moore-Penrose invertible if there is an element \(a^\dag \in R\) such that \(aa^\dag a=a\), \(a^\dag aa^\dag=a^\dag\), \((aa^\dag)^*=aa^\dag\) and \((a^\dag a)^*=a^\dag a\). An element \(a\in R\) is called left \(*\)-cancellable if \(a^*ax = a^*ay\) implies \(ax = ay\). An element \(a\in R\) is said to be well-supported if there exists a selfadjoint idempotent \(p\) such that \(ap = a\) and \(a^*a + 1 - p\) is regular (see Definition 6.5.3 of [\textit{B.\,Blackadar}, `\(K\)-theory for operator algebras' (Publications. Mathematical Sciences Research Institute 5, Cambridge University Press) (1998; Zbl 0913.46054)]). The authors prove that an element \(a \in R\) is Moore--Penrose invertible if and only if \(a\) is left \(*\)-cancellable and well-supported. They present some applications of their results to the characterization of stable rank \(1\) and real rank \(1\) \(C^*\)-algebras. They algebraically prove reverse order rule \((ab)^\dag=b^\dag a^\dag\) under certain conditions and thus extend the known results for matrices [\textit{T.\,L.\thinspace Boullion} and \textit{P.\,L.\thinspace Odell}, `Generalized inverse matrices' (New York etc.:\ Wiley--Interscience) (1971; Zbl 0223.15002)] and Hilbert space operators [\textit{R.\,H.\thinspace Bouldin}, Res.\ Notes Math.\ 66, 233--249 (1982; Zbl 0522.47001)]. A reverse order rule for the weighted Moore--Penrose inverse in \(C^*\)-algebras is also obtained and therefore the matrix results of \textit{W.-N.\,Sun} and \textit{Y.-M.\,Wei} [SIAM J.~Matrix Anal.\ Appl.\ 19, No.\,~3, 772--775 (1998; Zbl 0911.15004)] are generalized.