Let A 1, A 2 be standard operator algebras on complex Banach spaces X 1, X 2, respectively. For k 2, let (i 1,, i m) be a sequence with terms chosen from {1,, k}, and define the generalized Jordan product T 1 T k= T i 1 T i m+ T i m T i 1 on elements in A i. This includes the usual Jordan product A 1 A 2= A 1 A 2+ A 2 A 1, and the triple {A 1, A 2, A 3}= A 1 A 2 A 3+ A 3 A 2 A 1. Assume that at least one of the terms in (i 1,, i m) appears exactly once. Let a map : A 1 A 2 satisfy that ( (A 1) (A k))= (A 1 A k) whenever any one of A 1,, A k has rank at most one. It is shown in this paper that if the range of contains all operators of rank at most three, then must be a Jordan isomorphism multiplied by an m th root of unity. Similar results for maps between self-adjoint operators acting on Hilbert spaces are also obtained.

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The geometric descriptions of the (essential) spectra of Toeplitz operators with piecewise continuous symbols are among the most beautiful results about Toeplitz operators on Hardy spaces Hp with 1<p<∞. In the Hardy space H1, the essential spectra of Toeplitz operators are known for continuous symbols and symbols in the Douglas algebra C+H∞. It is natural to ask whether the theory for piecewise continuous symbols can also be extended to H1. We answer this question in the negative and show in particular that the Toeplitz operator is never bounded on H1 if its symbol has a jump discontinuity.

Let A1, A2 be (not necessarily unital or closed) standard operator algebras on locally convex spaces X1, X2, respectively. For k 2, define different kinds of products T1 Tk on elements in Ai, which covers the usual product T1 Tk= T1 Tk, and the Jordan triple product T1 T2= T2T1T2. Let : A1 A2 be a (not necessarily linear) map satisfying that ( (A1) (Ak))= (A1 Ak) whenever any one of Ais is of rank zero or one. It is shown that if the range of contains all rank one and rank two operators then it must be a Jordan isomorphism multiplied by a root of unity. Similar results for self-adjoint operators acting on Hilbert spaces are obtained.

We consider a multidimensional version of an inequality due to Leray as a substitute for Hardy’s inequality in the case $p = n ≥ 2$. In this paper we provide an optimal Sobolev-type improvement of this substitute, analogous to the corresponding improvements obtained for $p = 2 < n$ in S. Filippas, A. Tertikas, Optimizing improved Hardy inequalities, J. Funct. Anal. 192 (1) (2002) 186–233, and for $p > n ≥ 1$ in G. Psaradakis, An optimal Hardy-Morrey inequality, Calc. Var. Partial Differential Equations 45 (3-4) (2012) 421–441.