Preduals of semigroup algebras

Semigroup rings, multiplicative semigroups of rings (20M25) (L^1)-algebras on groups, semigroups, etc. (43A20) Duality and reflexivity in normed linear and Banach spaces (46B10) General theory of topological algebras (46H05)

Abstract: For a locally compact group

G

, the measure convolution algebra

M (G)

carries a natural coproduct. In previous work, we showed that the canonical predual

C_{0} (G)

of

M (G)

is the unique predual which makes both the product and the coproduct on

M (G)

weak

^{*}

-continuous. Given a discrete semigroup

S

, the convolution algebra

e l l^{1} (S)

also carries a coproduct. In this paper we examine preduals for

e l l^{1} (S)

making both the product and the coproduct weak

^{*}

-continuous. Under certain conditions on

S

, we show that

e l l^{1} (S)

has a unique such predual. Such

S

include the free semigroup on finitely many generators. In general, however, this need not be the case even for quite simple semigroups and we construct uncountably many such preduals on

e l l^{1} (S)

when

S

is either

m a t h b b Z_{+} i m e s m a t h b b Z

or

(m a t h b b N, c d o t)

.

Review text

Let \(G\) be a locally compact group. Then the measure algebra \(M(G)\) has a canonical predual, namely \(C_0(G)\). In earlier work [Houston J. Math. 35, No.~1, 253--276 (2009; Zbl 1205.43002)], the authors proved that \(C_0(G)\) is the only predual of \(M(G)\) with the property that both the multiplication as well as the co-multiplication of \(M(G)\) is continuous with respect to the weak* topology. In the paper under review, replace \(M(G)\) by \(\ell^1(S)\) for a semigroup \(S\). Obviously, this Banach algebra has a predual -- namely \(c_0(S)\) --, and the authors investigate its uniqueness. As can be expected, the situation is considerably more complicated than for \(M(G)\). For instance, if \(S\) is \({\mathbb Z}^k_+\) or the free semigroup on \(k\) generators, then \(c_0(S)\) is indeed the unique predual of \(\ell^1(S)\) making both multiplication and co-multiplication weak*-continuous. On the other hand, if \(S\) is \({\mathbb Z}_+ \times {\mathbb Z}\) or the multiplicative semigroup of \({\mathbb N}\), then \(\ell^1(S)\) has a continuum of such preduals. For other \(S\), however, there is even no such predual. The paper concludes with the nice result that, for \(S = ({\mathbb N}, \max)\), the space \(c_0(S)\) is the unique predual making multiplication weak* continuous.

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