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A complex associative algebra with a conjugate-linear involution satisfying the displayed product-reversal identities. An operator algebra closed under the Hilbert-space adjoint is a star-algebra. A C-star algebra additionally has a complete norm with $\Vert a^{\ast }a\Vert =\Vert a{\Vert }^2$.

An element $u$ of a unital C-star algebra is unitary when $u^{\ast }u=u{u}^{\ast }=1$.

For a nonunital C-star algebra, adjoining an identity gives multiplication $(a,\lambda )(b,\mu )=(ab+\lambda b+\mu a,\lambda \mu )$ and involution $(a,\lambda {)}^{\ast }=(a^{\ast },\overline{\lambda })$. Its standard C-star norm extends that of $A$, with the new identity of norm one. It can be constructed by adjoining the identity operator to a faithful nondegenerate operator representation and taking the operator norm. The original algebra is a closed ideal. The usual spectrum of an element in a nonunital algebra is taken in this unitization, permitting unital spectral arguments without requiring the original algebra to contain an identity.

A unital star-subalgebra of the bounded operators on a Hilbert space that is closed in the weak operator topology, equivalently in the strong operator topology. The Von Neumann double commutant theorem makes these conditions equivalent to equality with the double commutant of an operator algebra. It is norm closed and hence a C-star algebra.