Matrix Algebras with a Certain Compression Property II

Abstract

A subalgebra $\mathcal{A}$ of $\mathbb{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ is said to be projection compressible if $P\mathcal{A}P$ is an algebra for all orthogonal projections $P\in\mathbb{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$. Likewise, $\mathcal{A}$ is said to be idempotent compressible if $E\mathcal{A}E$ is an algebra for all idempotents $E\in\mathbb{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$. In this paper, a case-by-case analysis is used to classify the unital projection compressible subalgebras of $\mathbb{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$, $n\geq 4$, up to transposition and unitary equivalence. It is observed that every algebra shown to admit the projection compression property is, in fact, idempotent compressible. We therefore extend the findings of Cramer, Marcoux, and Radjavi (arXiv:1904.06803 [math.RA]) in the setting of $\mathbb{M}_3(\mathbb{C})$, proving that the two notions of compressibility agree for all unital matrix algebras.