Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2008
A deep result in the theory of W*-tensor products, the Commutation theorem, states that if M and N are W*-algebras faithfully represented as von Neumann algebras on the Hilbert spaces H and K, respectively, then the commutant  in L(H ⊗ K) of the W*-tensor product of M and N coincides with the W*-tensor product
 in L(H ⊗ K) of the W*-tensor product of M and N coincides with the W*-tensor product  of M′ and N′. Although special cases of this theorem were established successively by Misonou (2) and Sakai (3), the validity of the general result remained conjectural until the advent of the Tomita-Takesaki theory of Modular Hilbert algebras (6). As formulated, the Commutation theorem is a spatial result; that is, the W*-algebras in its statement are taken to act on specific Hilbert spaces. Not surprisingly, therefore, known proofs rely heavily on techniques of representation theory.
 of M′ and N′. Although special cases of this theorem were established successively by Misonou (2) and Sakai (3), the validity of the general result remained conjectural until the advent of the Tomita-Takesaki theory of Modular Hilbert algebras (6). As formulated, the Commutation theorem is a spatial result; that is, the W*-algebras in its statement are taken to act on specific Hilbert spaces. Not surprisingly, therefore, known proofs rely heavily on techniques of representation theory.