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Set $a_n=\Vert x^n\Vert$ and $D={\inf }_{n\ge 1}{a}_n^{1/n}$. If some $x^m=0$, all later powers vanish, their root norms tend to zero, and $D=0$. Otherwise fix $m\ge 1$ and write $n=qm+s$, $0\le s<m$. Submultiplicativity givesSince $q/n\to 1/m$, it follows that ${\mathrm{limsup}}_n{a}_n^{1/n}\le a_m^{1/m}$. Taking the infimum over $m$ and using $a_n^{1/n}\ge D$ provesThis establishes existence of the limit and its infimum characterization before identifying it with the spectral radius $r(x)={\max }_{\lambda \in \sigma (x)}|\lambda |$.

For $|\lambda |>D$, the root test makes ${\sum }_{n\ge 0}{x}^n/{\lambda }^{n+1}$ converge absolutely. Multiplication of partial sums shows that its limit is $(\lambda 1-x{)}^{-1}$. Thus $r(x)\le D$. For the reverse inequality, take any $\rho >r(x)$ and the circle $|\lambda |=\rho$. The resolvent of an element is holomorphic off the spectrum, andTo justify this identity, first use a radius larger than $\Vert x\Vert$ and integrate the uniformly convergent Neumann series term by term. Then deform to radius $\rho$: the intervening annulus has no spectral points. The Cauchy theorem for these Banach-valued integrals follows by applying bounded linear functionals and using their point separation. Consequently, with $M_{\rho }={\max }_{|\lambda |=\rho }\Vert (\lambda 1-x{)}^{-1}\Vert$,Taking root limits gives $D\le \rho$; let $\rho \downarrow r(x)$. Hence the full spectral radius formula is

For the product comparison, if $\lambda \ne 0$ and $R=(\lambda 1-xy{)}^{-1}$, direct multiplication on both sides verifiesIndeed $(\lambda 1-yx)y=y(\lambda 1-xy)$, and the remaining terms cancel against the inverse equation. Interchanging $x,y$ proves the converse. Thus the nonzero spectra of products in opposite orders agree, soThe possible difference at zero has no effect on the maximum modulus, including when that maximum is zero.

Zero really can differ. In $A=\mathcal{B}({\ell }^2({\mathbb{N}}_0))$, let $S$ be the unilateral shift operator, $S{e}_n=e_{n+1}$, and take $x=S^{\ast }$, $y=S$. Then $xy=1$, whereas $yx=1-P_0$, with $P_0$ the projection onto $e_0$. The latter is zero on $e_0$ and identity on its orthogonal complement, and these blocks also explicitly invert it away from zero and one. Hence

Finally, for $t>r(x)$ the root norms of $(x/t{)}^n$ tend to $r(x)/t<1$, so their norms eventually decay geometrically and the powers converge to zero. Conversely, if the powers converge to zero, choose $N$ with $\Vert (x/t{)}^N\Vert <1$. Homogeneity and the infimum formula implyso $t>r(x)$. The admissible positive $t$ are exactly $(r(x),\infty )$, proving the power-decay characterization of the spectral radiusThis includes quasinilpotent elements with radius zero; no positive endpoint must be attained.

For $\lambda \ne 0$, suppose $R=(\lambda 1-ba{)}^{-1}$ exists. The identities $(\lambda 1-ab)a=a(\lambda 1-ba)$ and $b(\lambda 1-ab)=(\lambda 1-ba)b$ show, by multiplication on either side, thatFor example, multiplying on the left gives $1-{\lambda }^{-1}ab+{\lambda }^{-1}a(\lambda 1-ba)Rb=1$, and the right product gives the same cancellation. Thus invertibility of $\lambda 1-ba$ implies invertibility of $\lambda 1-ab$. Interchanging $a,b$ proves the converse. The nonzero spectra of products in opposite orders are therefore equal:In particular the requested inclusion follows. The exclusion of zero matters: for the unilateral shift operator $S$, $S^{\ast }S=1$ has Banach algebra spectrum $\{1\}$, whereas $S{S}^{\ast }=1-P_0$ has Banach algebra spectrum $\{0,1\}$.

Use the spectral definition of a Positive element of a C-star algebra: $h$ is positive if $h=h^{\ast }$ and ${\sigma }_A(h)\subseteq [0,\infty )$. We use the standard continuous functional calculus for a Hermitian element of a C-star algebra, including its real Banach algebra spectrum and the equality of its norm with its spectral radius. To prove $a^{\ast }a$ positive without assuming this as part of the definition, first establish two elementary cone facts.

If $p,q$ are positive and $s=\Vert p\Vert +\Vert q\Vert$, the continuous functional calculus gives $\Vert \Vert p\Vert 1-p\Vert \le \Vert p\Vert$ and the corresponding bound for $q$, henceSince $p+q$ is self-adjoint, every spectral value $t$ is real and satisfies $|s-t|\le s$, so $t\ge 0$. Thus the positive cone of a C-star algebra is closed under addition. It is proper: if both $h$ and $-h$ are positive, their Banach algebra spectra force $\sigma (h)\subseteq \{0\}$, and the self-adjoint norm equality gives $h=0$. It is also norm closed: if $p_n\ge 0$ converges to $p$, choose $r\ge {\sup }_n\Vert p_n\Vert$; then $\Vert r1-p_n\Vert \le r$ passes to the limit and forces every spectral value of $p$ to be nonnegative.

Now put $h=a^{\ast }a$, and form its negative part $d=\max (-h,0)$ by continuous functional calculus. Let $c=a{d}^{1/2}$. Because $d$ is a function of $h$, the scalar identity $t\max (-t,0)=-\max (-t,0{)}^2$ givesThis has nonpositive Banach algebra spectrum. The previously proved equality of nonzero product Banach algebra spectra shows that $c{c}^{\ast }$ also has nonpositive Banach algebra spectrum; it is self-adjoint, so both $c^{\ast }c$ and $c{c}^{\ast }$ are negative elements. Write $c=u+iv$, where $u=(c+c^{\ast })/2$ and $v=(c-c^{\ast })/(2i)$ are self-adjoint. Direct multiplication givesBy the spectral mapping theorem, the squares $u^2,v^2$ are positive, so their sum is positive by the cone fact above. But the same sum is negative, since both its original summands are negative. Properness forces $c^{\ast }c+c{c}^{\ast }=0$. Then $c^{\ast }c=-c{c}^{\ast }$ is both negative and positive, so $c^{\ast }c=0$, whence $d^2=0$. The C-star identity applied to the self-adjoint $d$ gives $\Vert d{\Vert }^2=\Vert d^2\Vert =0$. Thus $d=0$, provingThis establishes positivity of adjoint products from spectral positivity. It also proves positivity under congruence: for $p\ge 0$ and any $z$, write $p=r^2$ using its functional-calculus square root; then $z^{\ast }pz=(rz{)}^{\ast }(rz)\ge 0$.

For the comparison of squares, we first derive inversion reverses the order of strictly positive elements. If $0<x\le y$ with both positive and invertible, thenThe continuous functional calculus gives $k^{-1}\le 1$, because the scalar function $1-t^{-1}$ is nonnegative on $\sigma (k)\subseteq [1,\infty )$. Congruence then givesNo commutation of $x,y$ was assumed.

Next derive the square-root resolvent integral in a C-star algebra. For $s\ge 0$,For $s>0$, substituting $t=s{u}^2$ reduces the integral to $\sqrt{s}{\pi }^{-1}{\int }_0^{\infty }2/(1+u^2)du=\sqrt{s}$; for $s=0$ it is zero. For a positive element $x$, the norm of $x(t1+x{)}^{-1}$ is at most $\min (1,\Vert x\Vert /t)$. Thus the integral converges in norm, with integrable bounds $t^{-1/2}$ near zero and $\Vert x\Vert t^{-3/2}$ near infinity, uniform on $\sigma (x)$. The continuous functional calculus consequently givesPut $\alpha =a^2$ and $\beta =b^2$. The assumption $b^2-a^2\ge 0$ says $\alpha \le \beta$. For every $t>0$, inversion reverses the order of the strictly positive elements $t1+\alpha$ and $t1+\beta$. Subtracting the two square-root formulas therefore yieldsHere ${\alpha }^{1/2}=a$ and ${\beta }^{1/2}=b$ because $a,b$ themselves are positive. Every truncated integral has a positive integrand, so is positive; norm convergence and closedness of the positive cone of a C-star algebra make its limit positive. This proves order preservation by the positive square root in the required case:It is important that this argument does not factor $b^2-a^2$ as $(b-a)(b+a)$, which would be invalid for noncommuting elements.

For $p=b-a\ge 0$, apply the continuous function $t\mapsto \sqrt{t}$ on its nonnegative compact Banach algebra spectrum. The resulting element $p^{1/2}$ is self-adjoint, has nonnegative Banach algebra spectrum by continuous functional calculus, and satisfies $(p^{1/2}{)}^2=p$. Thus $b-a$ has a positive square root in a C-star algebra.

Finally, if the positive element $a$ is invertible, its compact Banach algebra spectrum is bounded away from zero. Let $\epsilon =\min \sigma (a)>0$; continuous functional calculus gives $a\ge \epsilon 1$. Since $b\ge a$, we also have $b\ge \epsilon 1$, so $\sigma (b)\subseteq [\epsilon ,\infty )$. The reciprocal function is continuous on this Banach algebra spectrum and supplies $b^{-1}$. Therefore $\boxed{a\text{ invertible}⟹b\text{ invertible}}$ under the given positivity assumptions.

Let $c=(1-ab{)}^{-1}\in A$. From the two inverse identities we have $cab=c-1=abc$. The candidate inverse isIndeedandBoth products have been checked, so this is valid in a noncommutative Banach algebra. It is the identity underlying the nonzero spectra of products in opposite orders result.

For an element $a$ of a complex unital Banach algebra, its spectrum of an element isThe nonzero spectra of products in opposite orders agree:For $\lambda \ne 0$, if $R=(\lambda 1-ab{)}^{-1}$ exists, direct multiplication on both sides verifiesInterchanging $a,b$ proves the converse. Zero may differ. On the Hilbert space ${\ell }^2({\mathbb{N}}_0)$, let $S$ be the unilateral shift operator $S{e}_n=e_{n+1}$ and take $a=S^{\ast }$, $b=S$. Then $ab=S^{\ast }S=I$, whereas $ba=S{S}^{\ast }=I-P_0$, where $P_0$ is projection onto the first coordinate. HenceBoth values for the second operator occur on its two nonzero invariant summands; every other value has an inverse obtained separately on those summands.

We use the spectral definition of a Positive element of a C-star algebra: $h$ is positive when $h=h^{\ast }$ and $\sigma (h)\subseteq [0,\infty )$. The continuous functional calculus, supplied by the Commutative Gelfand--Naimark theorem for the algebra generated by a Normal element of a C-star algebra and its adjoint, sends $F\in C(\sigma (h))$ to $F(h)$. It preserves products, sums, conjugation and the identity, is isometric, and satisfies $\sigma (F(h))=F(\sigma (h))$. For a self-adjoint element the spectrum is real, so real-valued functions produce self-adjoint elements.

For example, $F(t)=\sqrt{t}$ gives the positive square root in a C-star algebra of a Positive element of a C-star algebra. It satisfies $(h^{1/2}{)}^2=h$. Its uniqueness follows from the composition rule: if $d\ge 0$ and $d^2=h$, then the continuous functional calculus in the algebra generated by $d$ gives $\sqrt{d^2}=d$. For positive invertible $h$, the functions $t^{-1}$ and $t^{-1/2}$ give positive inverses and inverse square roots. If $0\le h$ and $r\ge \Vert h\Vert$, the function $r-t$ gives $r1-h\ge 0$; the same calculus givesThese transfer elementary scalar inequalities for functions of one element to the algebra. They do not justify applying a scalar inequality to arbitrary noncommuting elements.

To prove closure under addition without assuming an order theorem, let $a,b\ge 0$, set $\alpha =\Vert a\Vert$, $\beta =\Vert b\Vert$ and $s=\alpha +\beta$. If $s=0$, both elements are zero. Otherwise,The element $a+b$ is self-adjoint, so any $\lambda \in \sigma (a+b)$ is real and satisfies $|s-\lambda |\le s$. Thus $\lambda \ge 0$, provingWe will also use that the positive cone is proper: if $h\ge 0$ and $-h\ge 0$, then $\sigma (h)\subseteq \{0\}$, and the norm formula for self-adjoint elements gives $h=0$.

We next prove $a^{\ast }a\ge 0$ without presupposing that positivity is defined by such products. Put $h=a^{\ast }a$, which is self-adjoint, and form its negative part by the continuous functional calculus:This is positive. Let $c=a{h}_{-}^{1/2}$. Since $h_{-}$ commutes with $h$,The nonzero product-spectrum identity proved above gives $\sigma (c{c}^{\ast })\setminus \{0\}=\sigma (c^{\ast }c)\setminus \{0\}$. As $c{c}^{\ast }$ is self-adjoint, it too has spectrum in $(-\infty ,0]$, so $c{c}^{\ast }\le 0$.

Write $c=u+iv$ with $u=u^{\ast }$ and $v=v^{\ast }$. The continuous functional calculus makes $u^2$ and $v^2$ positive, and the addition result givesBut both summands on the left are nonpositive, so their sum is also nonpositive. Properness of the cone forces $c^{\ast }c+c{c}^{\ast }=0$. Now $c^{\ast }c=-c{c}^{\ast }$ is positive as well as nonpositive, so $c^{\ast }c=0$. The C-star identity gives $c=0$, whence $h_{-}^2=0$ and $h_{-}=0$. Thus $h$ has no negative spectral part:This proves the positivity of adjoint products from spectral positivity and the equivalence with the usual definition by elements of the form $d^{\ast }d$: the reverse direction is the factorization $h=(h^{1/2}{)}^{\ast }{h}^{1/2}$ for $h\ge 0$.

Finally, if $a\ge 0$ and $c\in A$, writeThe preceding result therefore provesIn particular, congruence preserves positivity in a C-star algebra, and $a\le b$ implies $c^{\ast }ac\le c^{\ast }bc$. These facts will justify the noncommutative order manipulations in the numbered parts.

Define positivity spectrally: a self-adjoint element has nonnegative spectrum. First, addition preserves it. For $p,q\ge 0$ and $s=\Vert p\Vert +\Vert q\Vert$, functional calculus gives $\Vert s1-p-q\Vert \le s$, forcing every real spectral value of $p+q$ to be nonnegative. The cone is proper because a self-adjoint element with spectrum contained in $\{0\}$ has norm zero.

For $h=a^{\ast }a$, let $h_{-}=\max (-h,0)$ by the continuous functional calculus, and set $c=a{h}_{-}^{1/2}$. Then $c^{\ast }c=-h_{-}^2$ is nonpositive. The nonzero spectra of products in opposite orders imply that $c{c}^{\ast }$ is nonpositive too. Write $c=u+iv$ with $u,v$ self-adjoint. Then $c^{\ast }c+c{c}^{\ast }=2(u^2+v^2)$ is positive, since self-adjoint squares have nonnegative spectrum. It is also nonpositive, hence zero. It follows that $c^{\ast }c=-c{c}^{\ast }$ is both positive and nonpositive, hence zero. The C-star identity gives $c=0$, so $h_{-}^2=0$ and $h_{-}=0$. Thus $h\ge 0$, without assuming positivity of adjoint products in an earlier step.