Polynomials in a hermitian element

Abstract

For an element a of a unital Banach algebra A with dual space A′, we define the numerical range V(a) = {f(a):f ∊ A′, ∥f∥ = f(1) = 1}, and the numerical radius v(a) = sup{⃒z⃒:z ∊ V(a)}. An element a is said to be Hermitian if V(a) ⊆ ℝ ,equivalently ∥exp (ita)∥ = 1(t ∊ ℝ). Under the condition V(h) ⊆ [-1, 1], any polynomial in h attains its greatest norm in the algebra Ea[-1,1], generated by an element h with V(h) = [-1, 1].