On a question related to bounded approximate identities of ideals in Banach algebras

Abstract

In this paper we give an example of a Banach algebra $A$ and a closed ideal $I$ of $A$ such that the multiplier algebra of $I$ is equal to $A$ but $I$ does not have any bounded approximate identity. In the case that $I$ has an approximate identity, we give a necessary condition on $I$ for which $A=\mathcal{M}(I)$, where $\mathcal{M}(I)$ denotes the multiplier algebra of $I$. Finally, as a corollary of our results, we show that the Fourier algebra of an amenable group is strictly dense in the Fourier-Stieltjes algebra.

6 pages, to appear in "Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo Series 2"