 Characters of the bilateral absolutely summable convolution algebra

Every character of an algebra on ${\ell }^1(\mathbb{Z})$ with convolution multiplication is uniquely of this form for $0\le t<2\pi$. If $e_j$ is the point mass at $j$, then $e_j{e}_k=e_{j+k}$. A character has norm one and $e_1{e}_{-1}=1$, so $|\chi (e_1)|\le 1$ and $|\chi (e_1{)}^{-1}|\le 1$. Hence $\chi (e_1)$ lies on the unit circle; multiplication determines all $\chi (e_j)$ and continuity determines the displayed series. Conversely absolute convergence permits rearrangement of the double series, proving multiplicativity. The maximal ideals are exactly their kernels: each consists of sequences whose Fourier series vanishes at one fixed point of the unit circle.