Let H be a complex separable Hilbert space with $\dim H \geq 2$. Let $\mathcal {N}$ be a nest on H such that $E_+ \neq E$ for any $E \neq H, E \in \mathcal {N}$. We prove that every 2-local isometry of $\operatorname {Alg}\mathcal {N}$ is a surjective linear isometry.

Let $\mathcal {X}$ be a Banach space over the complex field $\mathbb {C}$ and $\mathcal {B(X)}$ be the algebra of all bounded linear operators on $\mathcal {X}$. Let $\mathcal {N}$ be a nontrivial nest on $\mathcal {X}$, $\text {Alg}\mathcal {N}$ be the nest algebra associated with $\mathcal {N}$, and $L\colon \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}\longrightarrow \mathcal {B(X)}$ be a linear mapping. Suppose that $p_n(x_1,x_2,\ldots ,x_n)$ is an $(n-1)\,$th commutator defined by n indeterminates $x_1, x_2, \ldots , x_n$. It is shown that L satisfies the rule

$$ \begin{align*}L(p_n(A_1, A_2, \ldots, A_n))=\sum_{k=1}^{n}p_n(A_1, \ldots, A_{k-1}, L(A_k), A_{k+1}, \ldots, A_n) \end{align*} $$

for all $A_1, A_2, \ldots , A_n\in \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}$ if and only if there exist a linear derivation $D\colon \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}\longrightarrow \mathcal {B(X)}$ and a linear mapping $H\colon \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}\longrightarrow \mathbb {C}I$ vanishing on each $(n-1)\,$th commutator $p_n(A_1,A_2,\ldots , A_n)$ for all $A_1, A_2, \ldots , A_n\in \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}$ such that $L(A)=D(A)+H(A)$ for all $A\in \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}$. We also propose some related topics for future research.

Let ${\mathcal{A}}$ be a semisimple Banach algebra with minimal left ideals and $\text{soc}({\mathcal{A}})$ be the socle of ${\mathcal{A}}$. We prove that if $\text{soc}({\mathcal{A}})$ is an essential ideal of ${\mathcal{A}}$, then every 2-local derivation on ${\mathcal{A}}$ is a derivation. As applications of this result, we can easily show that every 2-local derivation on some algebras, such as semisimple modular annihilator Banach algebras, strongly double triangle subspace lattice algebras and ${\mathcal{J}}$-subspace lattice algebras, is a derivation.

We show that Ringrose's diagonal ideals are primitive ideals in a nest algebra (subject to the continuum hypothesis). This answers an old question of Lance and provides for the first time concrete descriptions of enough primitive ideals to obtain the Jacobson radical as their intersection. Separately, we provide a standard form for all left ideals of a nest algebra, which leads to insights into the maximal left ideals. In the case of atomic nest algebras, we show how primitive ideals can be categorized by their behaviour on the diagonal and provide concrete examples of all types.

Recently, a new equivalence relation between weak* closed operator spaces acting on Hilbert spaces has appeared. Two weak* closed operator spaces ${\mathcal{U}}$, ${\mathcal{V}}$ are called weak TRO equivalent if there exist ternary rings of operators ${\mathcal{M}}$i, i = 1, 2 such that ${\mathcal{U}}=[{\mathcal{M}}_2{\mathcal{V}}{\mathcal{M}}_1^*]^{-w^*}, {\mathcal{V}}=[{\mathcal{M}}_2^*{\mathcal{U}}{\mathcal{M}}_1]^{-w^*}.$ Weak TRO equivalent spaces are stably isomorphic, and conversely, stably isomorphic dual operator spaces have normal completely isometric representations with weak TRO equivalent images. In this paper, we prove that if ${\mathcal{U}}$ and ${\mathcal{V}}$ are weak TRO equivalent operator spaces and the space of I × I matrices with entries in ${\mathcal{U}}$, MIw(${\mathcal{U}}$), is hyperreflexive for suitable infinite I, then so is MIw(${\mathcal{V}}$). We describe situations where if ${\mathcal{L}}$1, ${\mathcal{L}}$2 are isomorphic lattices, then the corresponding algebras Alg($\mathcal{L}$1), Alg($\mathcal{L}$2) have the same complete hyperreflexivity constant.

We show that every free semigroup algebra has a (strongly) unique Banach space predual. We also provide a new simpler proof that a weak- $*$ closed unital operator algebra containing a weak- $*$ dense subalgebra of compact operators has a unique Banach space predual.

Let $H$ be a not necessarily separable Hilbert space, and let $\mathcal{B}(H)$ denote the space of all bounded linear operators on $H$. It is proved that a commutative lattice $\mathcal{D}$ of self-adjoint projections in $H$ that contains $0$ and $I$ is spatially complete if and only if it is a closed subset of $\mathcal{B}(H)$ in the strong operator topology. Some related results are obtained concerning commutative lattice-ordered cones of self-adjoint operators that contain $\mathcal{D}$.

A nest representation of a strongly maximal $\text{TAF}$ algebra $A$ with diagonal $D$ is a representation $\pi $ for which $\text{Lat}\,\pi \left( A \right)$ is totally ordered. We prove that $\ker \,\pi$ is a meet irreducible ideal if the spectrum of $A$ is totally ordered or if (after an appropriate similarity) the von Neumann algebra $\text{ }\!\!\pi\!\!\text{ }{{\left( D \right)}^{\prime \prime }}$ contains an atom.