Unital and multiplicatively spectrum-preserving surjections between semi-simple commutative Banach algebras are linear and multiplicative

Abstract Let T be a surjective map from a unital semi-simple commutative Banach algebra A onto a unital commutative Banach algebra B . Suppose that T preserves the unit element and the spectrum σ ( f g ) of the product of any two elements f and g in A coincides with the spectrum σ ( T f T g ) . Then B is semi-simple and T is an isomorphism. The condition that T is surjective is essential: An example of a non-linear and non-multiplicative unital map from a commutative C*-algebra into itself such that σ ( T f T g ) = σ ( f g ) holds for every f , g are given. We also show an example of a surjective unital map from a commutative C*-algebra onto itself which is neither linear nor multiplicative such that σ ( T f T g ) ⊂ σ ( f g ) holds for every f , g .