Linear maps between C*-algebras that are *-homomorphisms at a fixed point

Abstract

Let A and B be C*-algebras. A linear map T : A → B is said to be a *-homomorphism at an element z ∈ A if ab* = z in A implies T (ab*) = T (a)T (b)* = T (z), and c*d = z in A gives T (c*d) = T (c)*T (d) = T (z). Assuming that A is unital, we prove that every linear map T : A → B which is a *-homomorphism at the unit of A is a Jordan *-homomorphism. If A is simple and infinite, then we establish that a linear map T : A → B is a *-homomorphism if and only if T is a *-homomorphism at the unit of A. For a general unital C*-algebra A and a linear map T : A → B, we prove that T is a *-homomorphism if, and only if, T is a *-homomorphism at 0 and at 1. Actually if p is a non-zero projection in A, and T is a ^∗-homomorphism at p and at 1 − p, then we prove that T is a Jordan *-homomorphism. We also study bounded linear maps that are *-homomorphisms at a unitary element in A.