We show that for n≥2, n-weak amenability of the second dual 𝒜** of a Banach algebra 𝒜 implies that of 𝒜. We also provide a positive answer for the case n=1, which sharpens some older results. Our method of proof also provides a unified approach to give short proofs for some known results in the case where n=1.

A ℂ-linear map θ (not necessarily bounded) between two Hilbert C*-modules is said to be ‘orthogonality preserving’ if 〈θ(x),θ(y)〉=0 whenever 〈x,y〉=0. We prove that if θ is an orthogonality preserving map from a full Hilbert C0(Ω)-module E into another Hilbert C0(Ω) -module F that satisfies a weaker notion of C0 (Ω) -linearity (called ‘localness’), then θ is bounded and there exists ϕ∈Cb (Ω)+ such that 〈θ(x),θ(y)〉=ϕ⋅〈x,y〉 for all x,y∈E.

Let ℬ be an abstract Segal algebra with respect to 𝒜. For a nonzero character ϕ on 𝒜, we study ϕ-amenability, and ϕ-contractibility of 𝒜 and ℬ. We then apply these results to abstract Segal algebras related to locally compact groups.

We describe explicitly the continuous Hochschild and cyclic cohomology groups of certain tensor products of -algebras which are Fréchet spaces or nuclear DF-spaces. To this end we establish the existence of topological isomorphisms in the Künneth formula for the cohomology of complete nuclear DF-complexes and in the Künneth formula for continuous Hochschild cohomology of nuclear -algebras which are Fréchet spaces or DF-spaces for which all boundary maps of the standard homology complexes have closed ranges.

We demonstrate that I0(SL(2,ℝ)) fails to be approximately weakly amenable.

We give a description of the continuity ideals and the kernels of homomorphisms from the algebras of continuous functions on locally compact spaces into Banach algebras. We also construct families of prime ideals satisfying a certain intriguing property in the algebras of continuous functions.

Let S be the semigroup with identity, generated by x and y, subject to y being invertible and yx = xy2. We study two Banach algebra completions of the semigroup algebra ℂS. Both completions are shown to be left-primitive and have separating families of irreducible infinite-dimensional right modules. As an appendix, we offer an alternative proof that ℂS is left-primitive but not right-primitive. We show further that, in contrast to the completions, every irreducible right module for ℂS is finite dimensional and hence that ℂS has a separating family of such modules.

A hermitian algebra is a unital associative ℂ-algebra endowed with an involution such that the spectra of self-adjoint elements are contained in ℝ. In the case of an algebra 𝒜 endowed with a Mackey-complete, locally convex topology such that the set of invertible elements is open and the inversion mapping is continuous, we construct the smooth structures on the appropriate versions of flag manifolds. Then we prove that if such a locally convex algebra 𝒜 is endowed with a continuous involution, then it is a hermitian algebra if and only if the natural action of all unitary groups Un(𝒜) on each flag manifold is transitive.

Let n∈ℕ and let A and B be rings. An additive map h:A→B is called an n-Jordan homomorphism if h(an)=(h(a))n for all a∈A. Every Jordan homomorphism is an n-Jordan homomorphism, for all n≥2, but the converse is false in general. In this paper we investigate the n-Jordan homomorphisms on Banach algebras. Some results related to continuity are given as well.

We study when certain properties of Banach algebras are stable under ultrapower constructions. In particular, we consider when every ultrapower of is Arens regular, and give some evidence that this is so if and only if is isomorphic to a closed subalgebra of operators on a super-reflexive Banach space. We show that such ideas are closely related to whether one can sensibly define an ultrapower of a dual Banach algebraffi We study how tensor products of ultrapowers behave, and apply this to study the question of when every ultrapower of is amenable. We provide an abstract characterization in terms of something like an approximate diagonal, and consider when every ultrapower of a C*-algebra, or a group L1-convolution algebra, is amenable.

It is well known that a complex-valued function ø, analytic on some open set Ω, extends to any commutative Banach algebra B so that the action of ø on B commutes with the action of the Gelfand transformation. In this paper, it is shown that if B is a homogeneous convolution Banach algebra over any compact group and if 0 ∈ Ω is a fixed point of ø, then a similar result holds, with the Gelfand transformation replaced by the Fourier-Stieltjes transformation. Care is required, in that discussion of this relation usually requires simultaneous consideration of the extension of ø to B and to certain operator algebras.

In this paper we define and study a generalized Drazin inverse xD for ring elements x, and give a characterization of elements a, b for which aaD = bbD. We apply our results to the study of EP elements in a ring with involution.

A left ideal on any C*-algebra is an example of an operator algebra with a right contractive approximate indentiy (r.c.a.i.). Indeed, left ideal in C*-algebras may be charcterized as the class of such operator algebras, which happen also to be triple systems. Conversely, we show here and in a sequel to this paper, that operator algebras with r.c.a.i. shoulod be studied in terms of a certain let ideal of a C*-algebra. We study left ideals from the perspective of ‘Hamana theory’ and using the multiplier algebras of an operator space studied elsewhere by the author. More generally, we develop some general theory for operator algebras which have a 1-sided identity or approzimate indentity, including a Banach-Stone theorem for these algebras, and an analysis of the ‘multiplier operator algebra’.

Well-bounded operators are those which possess a bounded functional calculus for the absolutely continuous functions on some compact interval. Depending on the weak compactness of this functional calculus, one obtains one of two types of spectral theorem for these operators. A method is given which enables one to obtain both spectral theorems by simply changing the topology used. Even for the case of well-bounded operators of type (B), the proof given is more elementary than that previously in the literature.

The paper introduces and studies the weighted g-Drazin inverse for bounded linear operators between Banach spaces, extending the concept of the weighted Drazin inverse of Rakočević and Wei (Linear Algebra Appl. 350 (2002), 25–39) and of Cline and Greville (Linear Algebra Appl. 29 (1980), 53–62). We use the Mbekhta decomposition to study the structure of an operator possessing the weighted g-Drazin inverse, give an operator matrix representation for the inverse, and study its continuity. An open problem of Rakočević and Wei is solved.

In this paper, we prove that two homogeneous quasi-invariant subspaces are similar only if they are equal. Moreover, we exhibit an example to show how to determine the similarity orbits of quasi-invariant subspaces.

Let E and F constitute a Banach pairing. We prove that the algebra of F-nuclear operators on E, Nf (E), is amenable if and only if E is finite dimensional and is weakly amenable if and only if dim KF ≦ 1, and the trace on E⊗F is injective on KF. Here KF is the kernel of the canonical map E⊗^F →NF(E). On the route we find the corresponding statements for the associated tensor algebra, E⊗^F.

Let be a unital Banach algebra. Assume that a has a generalized inverse a+. Then is said to be a stable perturbation of a if . In this paper we give various conditions for stable perturbation of a generalized invertible element and show that the equation is closely related to the gap function . These results will be applied to error estimates for perturbations of the Moore-Penrose inverse in C*–algebras and the Drazin inverse in Banach algebras.

This paper is concerned with the problem of automatic continuity of derivations from group algebras L1(G) is a locally compact group, and convolution algebras L1(ω), where ω is a weight function. In the case of group algebras, it is shown that either the problem reduces to the case when G is the free group on a countably infinite number of generators or there is a non-discrete group G with a discontinuous l1(G)-bimodule homomorphism from L1(G). It is also shown that every derivation from L1(G) to a commutative L1(G)-bimodule is continuous. Similar results are obtained for weighted convolution algebras.

In this note it is proved that a (real or complex) semiprime Banach algebra A satisfying xAx = x2Ax2 for every x ∈ A is a direct sum of a finite number of division Banach algebras.