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Maps on matrix and operator algebras. (English) Zbl 1116.47030

This paper surveys some of the breakthroughs in the fast emerging theory of, what we will term, structure morphisms. Unlike the, by now classical, linear preservers, the structure morphisms focus on a given structure alone, without linearity imposed. For example, one can consider the set of invertible matrices and build a structure of a group. Its structure morphisms are usually called group homomorphisms.
The author of the paper under review discusses six, seemingly unrelated, problems of this type. The motivation for studying them usually comes from physics (relativity/quantum mechanics) or geometry, and is given in the introduction that precedes a given problem. The structure morphisms are then revealed, and well selected open problem(s) follow as an endnote.
The author concludes the survey by showing the intimate connection between the six discussed problems.

MSC:

47B49 Transformers, preservers (linear operators on spaces of linear operators)
47-02 Research exposition (monographs, survey articles) pertaining to operator theory
15A04 Linear transformations, semilinear transformations
15A90 Applications of matrix theory to physics (MSC2000)
81Q10 Selfadjoint operator theory in quantum theory, including spectral analysis
06A99 Ordered sets