Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T01:32:22.621Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Uniqueness of the norm topology for Banach algebras with finite-dimensional radical

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 1997

HG Dales
Affiliation:
Department of Pure Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. [email protected]
RJ Loy
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, Australian National University, ACT 0200, Australia. [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Semisimple Banach algebras are well-known to have a unique (complete) algebra norm topology, but such uniqueness may fail if the radical is even one-dimensional. We obtain a necessary condition for uniqueness of norm when the algebra has finite-dimensional radical. In the case where the Banach algebra is separable, the condition is shown to be also sufficient for a large class of algebras, and in particular under various hypotheses of commutativity. Examples are given to show the limitations of the various sufficiency results, and these also give a good indication of where the difficulties lie in general. We conjecture that, at least in the separable case, our condition is both necessary and sufficient.

1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 46H20, 46H40.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© London Mathematical Society 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)