Locally Convex Quasi *-Algebras and their Representations

Book excerpt: This book offers a review of the theory of locally convex quasi *-algebras, authored by two of its contributors over the last 25 years. Quasi *-algebras are partial algebraic structures that are motivated by certain applications in Mathematical Physics. They arise in a natural way by completing a *-algebra under a locally convex *-algebra topology, with respect to which the multiplication is separately continuous. Among other things, the book presents an unbounded representation theory of quasi *-algebras, together with an analysis of normed quasi *-algebras, their spectral theory and a study of the structure of locally convex quasi *-algebras. Special attention is given to the case where the locally convex quasi *-algebra is obtained by completing a C*-algebra under a locally convex *-algebra topology, coarser than the C*-topology. Introducing the subject to graduate students and researchers wishing to build on their knowledge of the usual theory of Banach and/or locally convex algebras, this approach is supported by basic results and a wide variety of examples.