Algebraic characterizations of locally compact groups

Abstract

AbstractLet G1, G2 be locally compact real-compact spaces. A linear map T defined from C(G1) into C(G2) is said to be separating or disjointness preserving if f = g ≡ 0 implies Tf = Tg ≡ 0 f or all f, g ∈ C(G1). In this paper we prove that both a separating map which preserves non-vanishing functions and a separating bijection which satisfies condition (M) (see Definition 4) are automatically continuous and can be written as weighted composition maps. We also study the effect of separating surjections (respectively injections) on the underlying spaces G1 and G2.Next we apply the above results to give an algebraic characterization of locally compact Abelian groups, similar to the one given in [7] for compact Abelian groups in the presence of ring isomorphisms.Finally, locally compact (not necessarily Abelian) groups are considered. We provide a sharpening of a result of Edwards and study the effect of onto (respectively injective) weighted composition maps on the groups G1 and G2.