Complete positivity of ‘atomically extensible’ bounded linear operators between $C^*$-algebras is characterized in terms of positivity of a bilinear form on certain finite-rank operators. In the case of an elementary operator on a $C^*$-algebra, the approach leads us to characterize k-positivity of the operator in terms of positivity of a quadratic form on a subset of the dual space of the algebra and in terms of a certain inequality involving factorial states of finite type I.

As an application we characterize those $C^*$-algebras where every k-positive elementary operator on the algebra is completely positive. They are either k-subhomogeneous or k-subhomogeneous by antiliminal. We also give a dual approach to the metric operator space introduced by Arveson.

AMS 2000 Mathematics subject classification: Primary 46L05. Secondary 47B47; 47B65