The Shilov boundary of an operator space - and the characterization theorems

We study operator spaces, operator algebras, and operator modules, from the point of view of the `noncommutative Shilov boundary'. In this attempt to utilize some `noncommutative Choquet theory', we find that Hilbert C$^*-$modules and their properties, which we studied earlier in the operator space framework, replace certain topological tools. We introduce certain multiplier operator algebras and C$^*-$algebras of an operator space, which generalize the algebras of adjointable operators on a C$^*-$module, and the `imprimitivity C$^*-$algebra'. It also generalizes a classical Banach space notion. This multiplier algebra plays a key role here. As applications of this perspective, we unify, and strengthen several theorems characterizing operator algebras and modules, in a way that seems to give more information than other current proofs. We also include some general notes on the `commutative case' of some of the topics we discuss, coming in part from joint work with Christian Le Merdy, about `function modules'.Comment: This is the final revised versio

Rethinking Visitation: From a Parental to a Relational Right

[...] visitation rights are considered to arise from the very fact of parenthood, so that parents are entitled to this right simply by being legally recognized as parents. [...] visitation rights are subject to the general rule of parental exclusivity: only a child\u27s legal parents have rights considered parental, and non-parents cannot acquire them

Modules over operator algebras, and the maximal C^*-dilation

We continue our study of the general theory of possibly nonselfadjoint algebras of operators on a Hilbert space, and modules over such algebras, developing a little more technology to connect `nonselfadjoint operator algebra' with the C$^*-$algebraic framework. More particularly, we make use of the universal, or maximal, C$^*-$algebra generated by an operator algebra, and C$^*-$dilations. This technology is quite general, however it was developed to solve some problems arising in the theory of Morita equivalence of operator algebras, and as a result most of the applications given here (and in a companion paper) are to that subject. Other applications given here are to extension problems for module maps, and characterizations of C$^*-$algebras

Analytic mappings between noncommutative pencil balls

In this paper, we analyze problems involving matrix variables for which we use a noncommutative algebra setting. To be more specific, we use a class of functions (called NC analytic functions) defined by power series in noncommuting variables and evaluate these functions on sets of matrices of all dimensions; we call such situations dimension-free. In an earlier paper we characterized NC analytic maps that send dimension-free matrix balls to dimension-free matrix balls and carry the boundary to the boundary; such maps we call "NC ball maps". In this paper we turn to a more general dimension-free ball B_L, called a "pencil ball", associated with a homogeneous linear pencil L(x):= A_1 x_1 + ... + A_m x_m, where A_j are complex matrices. For an m-tuple X of square matrices of the same size, define L(X):=\sum A_j \otimes X_j and let B_L denote the set of all such tuples X satisfying ||L(X)||<1. We study the generalization of NC ball maps to these pencil balls B_L, and call them "pencil ball maps". We show that every B_L has a minimal dimensional (in a certain sense) defining pencil L'. Up to normalization, a pencil ball map is the direct sum of L' with an NC analytic map of the pencil ball into the ball. That is, pencil ball maps are simple, in contrast to the classical result of D'Angelo on such analytic maps in C^m. To prove our main theorem, this paper uses the results of our previous paper mentioned above plus entirely different techniques, namely, those of completely contractive maps.Comment: 30 pages, final version. To appear in the Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Application