Functionals on Real C(S)

Abstract

The maximal ideals in a commutative Banach algebra with identity have been elegantly characterized [5; 6] as those subspaces of codimension one which do not contain invertible elements. Also, see [1]. For a function algebra A, a closed separating subalgebra with constants of the algebra of complex-valued continuous functions on the spectrum of A, a compact Hausdorff space, this characterization can be restated: Let F be a linear functional on A with the property: (*) For each ƒ in A there is a point s, which may depend on f, for which F(f) = f(s).