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For an injective module endomorphism $f:M\to M$ of an Artinian module, the chain $M\supseteq fM\supseteq f^{2}M\supseteq \cdots$ stabilizes. If $f^{n}M=f^{n+1}M$, then every $x$ satisfies $f^{n}x=f^{n+1}y$. Injectivity of $f^n$ gives $x=fy$, proving surjectivity. No finite-length or Noetherian hypothesis is needed.

A module automorphism is an invertible module endomorphism. Equivalently, it is a bijective module homomorphism from a module to itself; its inverse is automatically a module homomorphism. They form a group under composition.

For a surjective module endomorphism of a Noetherian module, the chain $\ker f\subseteq \ker f^2\subseteq \cdots$ stabilizes at some $N$. If $f(x)=0$, choose $y$ with $f^N(y)=x$. Then $y\in \ker f^{N+1}=\ker f^N$, giving $x=0$. Thus the endomorphism is also injective and is an isomorphism.

A representation of a Banach algebra is a complex-linear multiplicative map $\pi :A\to {\mathrm{End}}_{\mathbb{C}}(X)$. A nonzero irreducible action of a unital algebra automatically has $\pi (1)=I$: the image of the idempotent $\pi (1)$ is a nonzero invariant subspace and hence is all of $X$. An algebraically irreducible representation of a Banach algebra is a nonzero action if it has no nonzero proper invariant submodule, whether closed or not. A normed representation of a Banach algebra has $\pi (a)$ bounded for each $a$ on a preassigned normed vector space $X$; continuity of $\pi$ as an operator-norm-valued map is a further conclusion. This must not be confused with topological irreducibility, which excludes only closed invariant subspaces. Unitizing the algebra extends a nonunital action by $\pi (a+\lambda 1)=\pi (a)+\lambda I$, so it is enough to discuss the unital case.

For $\xi \ne 0$, irreducibility gives $A\xi =X$. The annihilator $L_{\xi }=\{a:\pi (a)\xi =0\}$ is a maximal left ideal: an intermediate left ideal gives an intermediate submodule of $X$. It is closed by the Neumann-series argument for maximal left ideals. Consequently $A/L_{\xi }$ transports a complete quotient norm to $X$, and left multiplication is contractive in this norm. Every algebraically irreducible representation of a Banach algebra can therefore be realized continuously on a Banach space. This alone does not prove continuity for its preassigned norm.

The kernel of $\pi$ is the intersection of the closed left ideals $L_{\xi }$ and is a closed primitive ideal. The Jacobson radical is the intersection of all primitive ideals, equivalently the intersection of maximal left ideals. Thus these quotient representations detect semisimplicity. Equivalent algebra representations are related by a bijective module homomorphism.

The algebra of module endomorphisms is exactly $\mathbb{C}I$. Indeed, if a module endomorphism $D$ sends a fixed cyclic vector $\xi$ to $a\xi$, then $D(b\xi )=ba\xi$. It is induced by bounded right multiplication by $a$ on $A/L_{\xi }$, so is bounded for the quotient norm on an irreducible Banach module. Every nonzero module endomorphism is injective and surjective by irreducibility, and its inverse is bounded by the same argument. This commutant of an operator algebra is a closed division subalgebra of the bounded operators on this Banach module; the Gelfand-Mazur theorem makes it $\mathbb{C}I$.

The Jacobson density theorem now says that for finitely many linearly independent ${\xi }_1,\dots ,{\xi }_n$ and arbitrary ${\eta }_1,\dots ,{\eta }_n$, one element of $A$ sends all ${\xi }_j$ to ${\eta }_j$. Here is the induction behind it. The one-vector assertion is $A{\xi }_1=X$. Assuming the first $n-1$ coordinates can be prescribed, set $L=\{a:a{\xi }_j=0(j<n)\}$. Its image $L{\xi }_n$ is an invariant subspace. If it is $X$, it adjusts the last image without changing the first ones. If it is zero, the rule $(a{\xi }_1,\dots ,a{\xi }_{n-1})\mapsto a{\xi }_n$ is a well-defined module map $X^{n-1}\to X$. Each coordinate map is scalar by the module endomorphism result, forcing ${\xi }_n$ to be a linear combination of the earlier vectors, a contradiction. This proves the assertion.

We can now give Johnson's continuity argument with its crucial construction. If $X$ is finite dimensional, the closed kernel has finite codimension and $A/\ker \pi$ is finite dimensional, so $\pi$ is continuous. Suppose instead that $X$ is infinite dimensional. LetThis is an invariant submodule, because the orbit map of $\pi (b)\xi$ is the orbit map of $\xi$ composed with the bounded map $a\mapsto ab$. Thus either $Y=X$ or $Y=0$.

To rule out $Y=0$, choose linearly independent unit vectors ${\xi }_0,{\xi }_1,\dots$. There are elements $a_n\in A$ such that, with $c_n=a_n\cdots a_1$,For completeness, construct them in the canonical quotient-norm Banach module. At stage $n$ the current tail vectors are independent. In the closed left annihilator of its first vector, density permits arbitrary images of any finite list of the remaining vectors. The condition that finitely many such images are independent is open in this Banach subspace and dense: perturb any element by $t$ times an element prescribing independent images; a suitable determinant is a nonzero polynomial in $t$, with only finitely many exceptional values. The Baire category theorem intersects these open dense conditions for all initial finite tail lists. The resulting $a_n$ kills the first current vector and retains independence of the entire remaining tail. This is the countable annihilation sequence in an irreducible Banach module.

The gliding-hump continuity principle supplies the other ingredient: if $E,F$ are Banach spaces, $S:E\to F$ is linear, $T_j:E\to E$ and $U_n:F\to F_n$ are bounded, and $U_{n}S{T}_1\cdots T_m$ is continuous whenever $m>n$, then $U_{n}S{T}_1\cdots T_n$ is continuous eventually. The product form of this principle is recorded in Proposition 1.3 of Thomas's paper. Here is the contradiction mechanism. Rescale so $\Vert T_j\Vert ,\Vert U_n\Vert \le 1$ and put $P_m=T_1\cdots T_m$. If infinitely many diagonal maps are discontinuous, choose increasing $n_j$ and successively tiny $x_j$ soAlso choose $\Vert x_j\Vert \le 2^{-j}/(1+{\max }_{i<j}\Vert U_{n_i}S{P}_{n_i+1}\Vert )$. The convergent sum $x={\sum }_j{P}_{n_j}{x}_j$ has, after its $j$th term, a tail factoring through $P_{n_j+1}$. Applying that continuous composite bounds the tail contribution by one. The display forces $\Vert U_{n_j}Sx\Vert >j$, contradicting $\Vert U_{n_j}Sx\Vert \le \Vert Sx\Vert$. Only finite decompositions and the continuous tail composites are used; no unjustified interchange of a discontinuous map with an infinite sum occurs.

Apply this principle with $E=A$, $F=\mathcal{B}(\overline{X})$, where $\overline{X}$ is the completion in the original norm, and $S(a)$ the bounded extension of $\pi (a)$. Set $T_j(a)=a{a}_j$ and $U_n(R)=R{\xi }_n$. ThenFor $m>n$ this is zero, hence continuous. For $m=n$ it is the orbit map of a nonzero vector, hence discontinuous if $Y=0$. This contradicts the principle. Therefore $Y=X$.

Finally, apply the Uniform boundedness principle on the Banach space $A$ to the continuous maps $a\mapsto \pi (a)\xi$ indexed by $\Vert \xi \Vert \le 1$. They are pointwise bounded because each individual $\pi (a)$ is bounded in the original norm. It givesThis proves Johnson's continuity theorem for irreducible normed representations, including when the original normed vector space is incomplete. The quotient norm, countable density construction, and gliding hump explain the substantive steps rather than assuming the desired continuity in advance.

First, a maximal left ideal $L$ is closed. Its norm closure is again a left ideal, since multiplication is continuous. If that closure were all of $A$, some $\ell \in L$ would satisfy $\Vert 1-\ell \Vert <1$ and would be invertible by the Neumann series. But a proper left ideal cannot contain an invertible element: ${\ell }^{-1}\ell =1$ would put $1$ in $L$. Maximality therefore forces $\overline{L}=L$.

Consequently $X=A/L$ is a nonzero quotient Banach space. It is a simple module for left multiplication by $A$, because the inverse image of any submodule under $A\to A/L$ is a left ideal containing $L$, and hence is either $L$ or $A$. Since $La\subseteq L$, right multiplication defines a well-defined bounded module endomorphismIndeed, changing $u$ by an element of $L$ changes $ua$ by an element of $L$, and taking the infimum over representatives proves the quotient norm bound. Right multiplication commutes with the left action by associativity.

Choose $\lambda$ in the nonempty spectrum of an element of $T$ in the Banach algebra $\mathcal{B}(X)$. Both the kernel and range of $T-\lambda I$ are submodules. If this module endomorphism were nonzero, simplicity would force its kernel to be zero and its range to be all of $X$. It would be a bounded bijection of Banach spaces, with bounded inverse by the bounded inverse theorem, contradicting the choice of $\lambda$. Thus $T=\lambda I$. Applying this identity to $1+L$ yields $a-\lambda 1\in L$. If also $a-\mu 1\in L$, then $(\lambda -\mu )1\in L$; since $1\notin L$, $\lambda =\mu$. ThereforeThis is the scalar right action on a maximal-left-ideal quotient; it does not assume that $L$ is a two-sided ideal or that $A/L$ is an algebra.

Now consider the center of an associative algebra $Z$. For each $u\in A$, the map $z\mapsto zu-uz$ is a continuous linear map, so its kernel is closed. Their intersection $Z$ is therefore closed. The identity belongs to $Z$, as do sums and scalar multiples of its elements. If $z,w\in Z$, then for every $u\in A$,Thus $zw\in Z$. Also $zw=wz$, since $z$ commutes with every element of $A$, including $w$. Hence the center is a closed commutative unital subalgebra, and is a Banach algebra in the inherited norm.

For every $z\in Z$, the inclusion $Lz=zL\subseteq L$ allows the first argument to apply. Let $\chi (z)$ be the unique scalar for which $z-\chi (z)1\in L$. Equivalently, the induced right multiplication on $A/L$ is $T_z=\chi (z)I$. Sincethe map $\chi :Z\to \mathbb{C}$ is a complex-linear unital character of an algebra. It is surjective because $\chi (\alpha 1)=\alpha$, and its kernel is precisely $L\cap Z$. ConsequentlyIndeed any ideal properly containing the kernel would have a nonzero image in the field $\mathbb{C}$ and thus would be all of $Z$. The algebra character is also continuous: $|\chi (z)|=\Vert \chi (z)I\Vert =\Vert T_z\Vert \le \Vert z\Vert$, although continuity is not needed for maximality.

The Jacobson radical is $J(R)={\bigcap }_{L}L$, where $L$ runs over the maximal right ideals. Every proper right ideal $I$ lies in such an $L$: the union of a chain of proper right ideals containing $I$ is a right ideal and remains proper because it omits $1$. Thus Zorn lemma applies.

The right-module form of Nakayama lemma says that a finitely generated module $M$ with $MJ=M$ is zero. More generally, if $N$ is a submodule and $M=N+MJ$, then $M=N$. To prove the first statement, suppose $M\ne 0$ and take a generating set $m_1,\dots ,m_s$ of minimal size. Since $MJ=M$, there are $a_i\in J$ withThe unit criterion for the Jacobson radical makes $1-a_s$ a unit. Hence $m_s$ is generated by the other $m_i$, a contradiction. Apply this result to the quotient module $M/N$ to obtain the general form.

For an injective module endomorphism $f$ of an Artinian module $M$, the descending chain condition givesfor some $n$. Given $x\in M$, write $f^n(x)=f^{n+1}(y)$; injectivity of $f^n$ gives $x=f(y)$. Thus $f$ is surjective, as asserted by Artinian modules are co-Hopfian.

Now $R$ is a semilocal ring and $\overline{V}=V/VJ$ is a finitely generated module over the right Artinian ring $\overline{R}=R/J$. A finite direct sum of copies of $\overline{R}$, and hence its quotient module $\overline{V}$, is an Artinian module. The module endomorphism $\alpha$ induces $\overline{\alpha }$ on $\overline{V}$, and the given inverse-image condition says precisely that $\ker \overline{\alpha }=0$. The preceding argument makes $\overline{\alpha }$ surjective, soThe quotient module $W=V/\alpha (V)$ is finitely generated and satisfies $WJ=W$. Applying Nakayama lemma yields $W=0$. Therefore $\alpha$ is surjective, by surjectivity from injectivity modulo the Jacobson radical.

A Noetherian module satisfies the ascending chain condition on its submodules; equivalently every submodule is a finitely generated module. If the latter condition holds, the union of an ascending chain has a finite generating set lying in one member, so the chain stabilizes. Conversely, a submodule with no finite generating set allows successive choices outside the submodule generated so far, producing a strictly ascending chain. A Noetherian ring is a ring that is Noetherian as a module over itself, equivalently one whose ideals are all finitely generated.

The formal power series ring consists of sequences written ${\sum }_{i\ge 0}{a}_i{x}^i$, with coefficientwise addition and the Cauchy product:Every coefficient uses a finite sum; no analytic convergence is involved. Evaluation at zero gives $A[[x]]/(x)\cong A$. A quotient ring of a Noetherian ring is Noetherian, because its ascending chains of ideals lift to such chains upstairs. Thus one direction of Noetherianity of a formal power series ring is immediate.

For the other direction suppose $A$ is Noetherian, and let $I\subseteq A[[x]]$ be an ideal. Define the coefficient ideals of a formal power series idealEach is an ideal, and multiplication by $x$ gives $I_r\subseteq I_{r+1}$. Choose $N$ with $I_N=I_{N+1}=\cdots$. For $0\le r\le N$, choose generators $a_{r1},\dots ,a_{r{m}_r}$ for $I_r$, and choose series $g_{rj}\in I\cap x^{r}A[[x]]$ whose $x^r$ coefficients are those generators. Empty generating sets are allowed for zero ideals.

These finitely many series generate $I$. To prove this without assuming that $I$ is closed, start with $g\in I$ and cancel its coefficients successively. If the residual $h_r$ lies in $I\cap x^{r}A[[x]]$, its $x^r$ coefficient lies in $I_r$. Put $s=\min (r,N)$; since $I_r=I_s$ when $r\ge N$, write that coefficient as ${\sum }_j{c}_{rj}{a}_{sj}$ and subtract ${\sum }_j{c}_{rj}{x}^{r-s}{g}_{sj}$. The new residual belongs to $I\cap x^{r+1}A[[x]]$.

For $s<N$, the generators $g_{sj}$ are used only at the single step $r=s$. For $s=N$, their accumulated multipliers are the genuine formal power series ${\sum }_{r\ge N}{c}_{rj}{x}^{r-N}$. Thus the construction yields the exact coefficientwise identityEvery coefficient of the residual vanishes after finitely many steps. This is an ordinary finite generating expression in $A[[x]]$, not merely an approximation by elements of a smaller ideal. Therefore every ideal is finitely generated, provingFinally, for the surjective module endomorphism $f$, the kernels $\ker f\subseteq \ker f^2\subseteq \cdots$ stabilize because $M$ is a Noetherian module. Take $N$ with $\ker f^N=\ker f^{N+1}$. If $f(m)=0$, surjectivity of $f^N$ gives $u$ with $f^N(u)=m$. Then $f^{N+1}(u)=0$, so $u\in \ker f^N$ and $m=0$. Hence $f$ is injective as well as surjective; its inverse is automatically $A$-linear. This proves $f$ is an isomorphism, the statement that Noetherian modules are Hopfian.

For a unital irreducible action and $\xi \ne 0$, the annihilator $L_{\xi }=\{a:\pi (a)\xi =0\}$ is a maximal left ideal and is closed. Thus $A/L_{\xi }$ supplies the displayed complete norm on the module, with contractive action. Every module endomorphism is bounded for this quotient norm: its value at the cyclic vector is $a\xi$, so it is induced by bounded right multiplication by $a$ on the quotient. The Gelfand-Mazur theorem then makes the module's commutant consist of scalar operators. This constructs one compatible norm; it does not by itself establish continuity in a different preassigned norm.

In a complex unital Banach algebra, right multiplication by $a$ induces a bounded module endomorphism $T$ of $A/L$ when $La\subseteq L$. Every nonzero module endomorphism of this simple module is algebraically bijective, since its kernel and range are submodules. Its inverse is bounded by the bounded inverse theorem. Choosing $\lambda$ in the nonempty spectrum of an element of $T$ forces $T-\lambda I=0$. Applying this identity to $1+L$ gives $a-\lambda 1\in L$, with uniqueness because $1\notin L$.

For a finitely generated module $V$ on the right over a semilocal ring, the displayed condition makes the induced module endomorphism on $V/VJ$ injective. This quotient is an Artinian module, so Artinian modules are co-Hopfian makes that map surjective. The remaining quotient module $V/\alpha (V)$ equals its product with $J$, and Nakayama lemma makes it zero.