Zero product preservers of C*-algebras

Abstract

Let T be be a zero-product preserving bounded linear map between C*-algebras A and B. Here neither A nor B is necessarily unital. In this note, we investigate when T gives rise to a Jordan homomorphism. In particular, we show that A and B are isomorphic as Jordan algebras if T is bijective and sends zero products of self-adjoint elements to zero products. They are isomorphic as C*-algebras if T is bijective and preserves the full zero product structure.