Linear maps on von Neumann algebras preserving zero products on tr-rank

Abstract

In this paper, we give some characterisations of homomorphisms on von Neumann algebras by linear preservers. We prove that a bounded linear surjective map from a von Neumann algebra onto another is zero-product preserving if and only if it is a homomorphism multiplied by an invertible element in the centre of the image algebra. By introducing the notion of tr-rank of the elements in finite von Neumann algebras, we show that a unital linear map from a linear subspace ℳ of a finite von Neumann algebra ℛ into ℛ can be extended to an algebraic homomorphism from the subalgebra generated by ℳ into ℛ; and a unital self-adjoint linear map from a finite von Neumann algebra onto itself is completely tr-rank preserving if and only if it is a spatial *-automorphism.