Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 January 2009
In this note we present some rather loosely connected results on Banach algebras together with some illustrative examples. We consider various conditions on a Banach algebra which imply that it is finite dimensional. We also consider conditions which imply the existence of non-zero nilpotents, and hence the existence of finite dimensional subalgebras. In the setting of Banach algebras quasinilpotents figure more prominently than nilpotents. We give an example of a non-commutative Banach algebra in which 0 is the only quasinilpotent; this resolves a problem of Hirschfeld and Zelazko (4).