Let $\mathcal{A}$ be a ${{C}^{*}}$-algebra and $E$ be a Banach space with the Radon-Nikodym property. We prove that if $j$ is an embedding of $E$ into an injective Banach space then for every absolutely summing operator $T:\,\mathcal{A}\,\to \,E$, the composition $j\,\circ \,T$ factors through a diagonal operator from ${{l}^{2}}$ into ${{l}^{1}}$. In particular, $T$ factors through a Banach space with the Schur property. Similarly, we prove that for $2\,<\,p\,<\,\infty $, any absolutely summing operator from $\mathcal{A}$ into $E$ factors through a diagonal operator from ${{l}^{p}}$ into ${{l}^{2}}$.

Our objective in this sequel to $[18]$ is to develop extensions, to representations of tensor algebras over ${{C}^{*}}$-correspondences, of two fundamental facts about isometries on Hilbert space: The Wold decomposition theorem and Beurling’s theorem, and to apply these to the analysis of the invariant subspace structure of certain subalgebras of Cuntz-Krieger algebras.

Let ℳ be a von Neumann algebra with a faithful normal trace τ, and let H∞ be a finite, maximal. subdiagonal algebra of ℳ. We prove that the Hilbert transform associated with H∞ is a linear continuous map from L1 (ℳ, τ) into L1.∞ (ℳ, τ). This provides a non-commutative version of a classical theorem of Kolmogorov on weak type boundedness of the Hilbert transform. We also show that if a positive measurable operator b is such that b log+b ∈ L1 (ℳ, τ) then its conjugate b, relative to H∞ belongs to L1 (ℳ, τ). These results generalize classical facts from function algebra theory to a non-commutative setting.

We study operator algebras with contractive approximate identities and their double centralizer algebras. These operator algebras can be characterized as L∞- Banach algebras with contractive approximate identities. We provide two examples, which show that given a non-unital operator algebra A with a contractive approximate identity, its double centralizer algebra M(A) may admit different operator algebra matrix norms, with which M(A) contains A as an M-ideal. On the other hand, we show that there is a unique operator algebra matrix norm on the unitalization algebra A1 of A such that A1 contains A as an M-ideal.

We study the properties of a new class SCB(L, B) of bounded linear maps, called symmetrically completely bounded maps, from a linear subspace L of a C* -algebra to another C*-algebra B. This class contains the class of all completely bounded linear maps from L to B. In particular, we obtain a representation theorem for maps in SCB(L, B) when B is the algebra of all bounded linear operators on a Hilbert space.

Together with Vern Paulsen we were able to show that the elementary theory of tensor norms of Banach spaces carries over to operator spaces. We suggested that the Grothendieck tensor norm program, which was of course enormously important in the development of Banach space theory, be carried out for operator spaces. Some of this has been done by the authors mentioned above, and by Effros and Ruan. We give alternative developments of some of this work, and otherwise continue the tensor norm program.

It is shown that if the isometric image of a linear subspace of Hilbert space operators is irreducible in a strong sense, then the isometry is either a multiplicative or anti-multiplicative map, possibly followed by multiplication by a unitary.

The linear subspace S of B(X, Y), the space of bounded operators from the Banach space X to the Banach space Y, is said to be transitive if Sx is dense in Y for all x ≠ 0. We give a number of conditions, involving operators intertwined by S, which imply that S is not transitive, and conditions which, when X = Y, imply that the commutant of S is also not transitive.

Let X and Y be Banach spaces, L(X, Y) the space of bounded linear operators from X to Y and C(X, Y) its subspace of the compact operators. A sequence {Ti} in C(X, Y) is said to be an unconditional compact expansion of T ∈ L (X, Y) if ∑ Tix converges unconditionally to Tx for every x ∈ X. We prove: (1) If there exists a non-compact T ∈ L(X, Y) admitting an unconditional compact expansion then C(X, Y) is not complemented in L(X, Y), and (2) Let X and Y be classical Banach spaces (i.e. spaces whose duals are some LP(μ) spaces) then either L(X, Y) = C(X, Y) or C(X, Y) is not complemented in L(X, Y).