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Direct Limits and Tensor Products: Tensor Products of C*-algebras

September 9, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | 1 comment

Taken from C*-algebras and Operator Theory by Gerald Murphy.

If H and K are vector spaces, we denote by H\otimes K their algebraic tensor product. This is linearly spanned by the elements x\otimes y (x\in H, y\in K).

One reason why tensor products are useful is that they turn bilinear maps (a bilinear map \varphi has \lambda\varphi(x,y)=\varphi(\lambda x,y)=\varphi(x,\lambda y)) into linear maps (\lambda\varphi(x,y)=\varphi(\lambda x,\lambda y)). More precisely, if \varphi:H\times K\rightarrow L is a bilinear map, where H,\,K and L are vector spaces, then there is a unique linear map \varphi_1:H\otimes K\rightarrow L such that \varphi_1(x\otimes y)=\varphi(x,y) for all x\in H and y\in K.

If \rho,\,\tau are linear functionals on the vector spaces H,\,K respectively, then there is a unique linear functional \rho\otimes\tau on H\otimes K such that

(\rho\otimes\tau)(x\otimes y)=\rho(x)\tau(y)

since the function

H\times K\rightarrow\mathbb{C}, (x,y)\mapsto \rho(x)\tau(y),

is bilinear.

Suppose that the finite sum \sum_jx_j\otimes y_j=0, where x_j\in H and y_j\in K. If y_1,\dots,y_n are linearly independent, then x_1=\cdot=x_n=0. For, in this case, there exist linear functionals \rho_j:K\rightarrow \mathbb{C} such that \rho_j(y_i)=\delta_{ij}. If \rho:H\rightarrow\mathbb{C} is linear, we have

0=(\rho\otimes \rho_j)(\sum_i x_j\otimes y_j)=\sum_i\rho(x_i)\rho_j(y_i)=\rho(x_j).

Thus \rho(x_j)=0 for arbitrary \rho and this shows that all the x_j=0.

Similarly if the finite sum \sum_jx_j\otimes y_j=0 with the x_j linearly independent, implies that all the y_j are zero.

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Von Neumann Algebras: The Kaplansky Density Theorem

July 7, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | Leave a comment

Taken from C*-algebras and Operator Theory by Gerald Murphy.

We prepare the way for the density theorem with some useful results on strong convergence.

Theorem 4.3.1

If H is a Hilbert space, the involution T\mapsto T^* is strongly continuous when restricted to the set of normal operators of B(H).

Proof

Let x\in H and suppose that T,S are normal operators in B(H). Then

\|(S^*-T^*)(x)\|^2=\langle S^*x-T^*x,S^*x-T^*x\rangle

=\|Sx\|^2-\|Tx\|^2+\langle TT^*x,x\rangle-\langle ST^*x,x\rangle

+\langle TT^*x,x\rangle-\langle TS^*x,x\rangle

=\|Sx\|^2-\|Tx\|^2+\langle (T-S)T^*x,x\rangle+\langle x,(T-S)T^*x\rangle

\leq \|Sx\|^2-\|Tx\|^2+2\|(T-S)T^*x\|\|x\|.

If \{T_\lambda\}_{\lambda\in\Lambda} is a net of normal operators strongly convergent to a normal operator T, then the net \|T_\lambda x\|^2 is convergent to \|Tx\|^2 and the net \{(T-T_\lambda)T^*x\} is convergent to 0, so \{T_\lambda^*x-T^*x\} is convergent to 0. Therefore, \{T_\lambda^*\} is strongly convergent to T^* \bullet

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Von Neumann Algebras: The Weak and Ultraweak Topologies

July 6, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | 2 comments

Taken from C*-algebras and Operator Theory by Gerald Murphy.

Preparatory to our introduction of the weak and ultraweak topologiesm we show now that L^1(H) is the dual of K(H), and B(H) is the dual of L^1(H).

Let H be a Hilbert space, and suppose that T\in L^1(H). It follows from Theorem 2.4.16 (https://jpmccarthymaths.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/c-algebras-and-operator-theory-2-4-compact-hilbert-space-operators/) that the function

\text{tr}(T\cdot):K(H)\rightarrow\mathbb{C}, S\mapsto \text{tr}(TS),

is linear and bounded, and \|\text{tr}(T\cdot)\|\leq \|T\|. We therefore have a map

L^1(H)\rightarrow K(H)^\star, T\mapsto \text{tr}(T\cdot),

which is clearly linear and norm-decreasing. We call this map the canonical map from L^1(H) to K(H)^\star.

Theorem 4.2.1

If H is a Hilbert space, then the canonical map from L^1(H) to K(H)^\star is an isometric linear isomorphism.

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Von Neumann Algebras: The Double Commutant Theorem

June 24, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | 3 comments

Taken from C*-algebras and Operator Theory by Gerald Murphy.

A useful way of thinking of the theory of C*-algebras is as “non-commutative topology”. This is justified by the correspondence between abelian C*-algebras and locally compact Hausdorff spaces given by the Gelfand representation. The algebras studied in this chapter, von Neumann algebras, are a class of C*-algebras whose study can be thought of as “non-commutative measure theory”. The reason for the analogy in this case is that the abelian von Neumann algebras are (up to isomorphism) of the form L^\infty(\Omega,\mu), where (\Omega,\mu) is a measure space.

The theory of von Neumann algebras is a vast and very well-developed area of the theory of operator algebras. We shall be able only to cover some of the basics. The main results of this chapter are the von Neumann double commutant theorem and the Kaplansky density theorem.

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Ideals and Positive Functionals: Exercises

April 7, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | Leave a comment

Question 1

Let a,b be normal elements of a C*-algebra A, and c an element of A such that ac=cb. Show that a^*c=cb^*, using Fuglede’s theorem and the fact that the element

d=\left(\begin{array}{cc}a &0\\ 0&b\end{array}\right)

is normal in M_2(A) and commutes with

d'=\left(\begin{array}{cc} 0&c\\ 0&0\end{array}\right).

This more general result is called the Putnam-Fuglede theorem.

Solution

Fuglede’s theorem states that if a is a normal element commuting with some b\in A, then b^* also commutes with a. Now we can show that d^*d=d^*d using the normality of a and b. We can also show that d and d' commute. Hence by the theorem d and d^* commute. This yields:

bc^*=c^*a.

Taking conjugates:

cb^*=a^*c,

as required \bullet

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Ideals and Positive Functionals: 3.4 The Gelfand-Naimark-Segal Representation

February 28, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | Leave a comment

In this section we introduce the important GNS construction and prove that every C*-algebra can be regarded as a C*-subalgebra of B(H) for some Hilbert space H. It is partly due to this concrete realisation of the C*-algebras that their theory is so accessible in comparison with more general Banach spaces.

A representation of a C*-algebra A is a pair (H,\varphi) where H is a Hilbert space and \varphi:A\rightarrow B(H) is a *-homomorphism. We say (H,\varphi) is faithful if \varphi is injective.

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Ideals and Positive Functionals: 3.3 Positive Linear Functionals

February 22, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | 2 comments

For abelian C*-algebras we were able to completely determine the structure of the algebra in terms of the character space, that is, in terms of the one-dimensional representations. For the non-abelian case this is quite inadequate, and we have to look at representations of arbitrary dimension. There is a deep inter-relationship between the representations and the positive linear functionals of  a C*-algebra. Representations will be defined and some aspects of this inter-relationship investigated in the next section. In this section we establish the basis properties of positive linear functionals.

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Ideals and Positive Functionals: 3.1 Ideals in C*-Algebras

February 21, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | 2 comments

I’m getting the impression that the bra-ket notation is more useful for linear ON THE LEFT!

An approximate unit for a C*-algebra is an increasing net \{u_\lambda\}_{\lambda\in\Lambda} of positive elements in the closed unit ball of A such that a= \lim_{\lambda }au_\lambda=\lim_\lambda u_\lambda a for all a\in A.

Example

Let H be a Hilbert space with infinite orthonormal basis \{e_n\}. The C*-algebra K(H) is now non-unital. If P_n is the projection onto \langle e_1,\dots,e_n\rangle, then the increasing sequence \{P_n\}\subset K(H) is an approximate unit for K(H). It will suffice to show that T=\lim_np_nT if T\in F(H), since F(H) is dense in K(H). Now if  T\in F(H), there exist x_1,\dots,x_m, y_1,\dots,y_m\in H such that:

T=\sum_{k=1}^m|x_k\rangle\langle y_k|.

Hence,

P_nT=\sum_{k=1}^m|P_nx_k\rangle\langle y_k|.

Since \lim_n P_nx=x for all x\in H, therefore for each $k$:

\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty}\||P_nx_k\rangle\langle y_k-|x_k\rangle\langle y_k|\|=\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \|P_nx_k-x_k\|\|y_k\|=0.

Hence, \lim_{n}P_nT=T.

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C*-Algebras and Hilbert Space Operators: Exercises

February 14, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | Leave a comment

Question 1

Let A be a Banach algebra such that for all a\in A the implication

Aa=0 or aA=0 \Rightarrow a=0

holds. Let L, R be linear mappings from A to itself such that for all a,b\in A,

L(ab)=L(a)b, R(ab)=aR(b), and R(a)b=aL(b).

Show that L and R are necessarily continuous.

Question 2

Let A be a unital C*-algebra.

(a)

If a,b are positive elements of A, show that \sigma(ab)\subset \mathbb{R}^+.

Solution (Wills)

For elements a,b of a unital algebra A:

\sigma(ab)\cup\{0\}=\sigma(ba)\cup\{0\}

If a\in A^+ then a^{1/2}\in A^+ so that

\sigma(ab)\cup\{0\}=\sigma(a^{1/2}(a^{1/2}b))\cup\{0\}=\sigma(a^{1/2}ba^{1/2})\cup\{0\}

Now if b\in A^+, for any c\in A, c^*bc\in A^+. Hence \sigma(a^{1/2}ba^{1/2})\subset \mathbb{R^+} and the result follows (note that ab need not be hermitian) \bullet

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C*-Algebras and Operator Theory: 2.5 The Spectral Theorem

January 19, 2011 in C*-Algebras & Operator Theory, Research | 2 comments

Let X be a compact Hausdorff space and H a Hilbert Space. A spectral measure E relative to (X,H) is a map from the \sigma-algebra of all Borel sets of X to the set of projections in B(H) such that

  1. E(\emptyset)=0, E(X)=1;
  2. E(S_1\cap S_2)=E(S_1)E(S_2) for all Borel sets S_1,\,S_2 of X;
  3. for all x,y\in H, the function E_{x,y}:S\mapsto \langle E(S)x,y\rangle, is a regular Borel complex measure on X.

A Borel measure \mu is a measure defined on Borel sets. If every Borel set in X is both outer and inner regular, then \mu is called regular. A measurable A\subset X is inner and outer regular if

\mu(A)=\sup\left\{\mu(F):\text{ closed }F\subset A\right\}, and

\mu(A)=\inf\left\{\mu(G):A\subset G\text{ open }\right\}

Denote by M(X) the Banach space of all regular Borel complex measures on X, and by B_\infty(X) the C*-algebra of all bounded Borel-measurable complex-valued functions on X (I assume with respect to the Borel \sigma-algebra on \mathbb{C}).

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