In the context of functional analysis and operator theory, a **primitive ideal** is a specific type of ideal in a C*-algebra that corresponds to irreducible representations of the algebra. To understand primitive ideals, it’s helpful to consider several key concepts: 1. **C*-algebra**: A C*-algebra is a complex algebra of linear operators on a Hilbert space that is closed under taking adjoints and has a norm satisfying the C*-identity.
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A primitive ideal of a unital associative algebra is the annihilator of a module for a nonzero simple module. Every maximal proper two-sided ideal is primitive: its quotient is a simple ring, and any simple module over that quotient has zero annihilator there. In a unital Banach algebra, a simple module can be realized as for a maximal left ideal; this ideal is closed, making the representation a bounded algebraically irreducible action on a Banach space.