Orthomorphisms of archimedean vector lattices

Abstract

AbstractA linear operator T on a vector lattice L preserves disjointness if Tx ⊥ y whenever x ⊥ y. If such a T is positive it is automatically order bounded. An ortho-morphism is an order bounded disjointness preserving linear operator on L. In this note we show that the theory of orthomorphisms on archimedean vector lattices admits a totally elementary exposition. Elementary methods are also effective in duality considerations when the order dual separates points of L. For the Jordan decomposition T = T+ − T− with T+x = (Tx+)+ − (Tx−)+ we can dtrop the order boundedness assumption if we assume either that T preserves ideals or that L is normed and T is continuous. Alternatively we may keep order boundedness and assume only |Tx| ⊥ |Ty| whenever x ⊥ y. The main duality results show: T preserves ideals if and only if T** does; T is an orthomorphism if and only if T* is; T is central (|T| is bounded by a multiple of the identity) if and only if T* is central if and only if T and T* preserve ideals.