†-algebra

A †-algebra (or, more explicitly, a †-closed algebra) is the name occasionally used in physics^[1] for a finite-dimensional C*-algebra. The dagger, †, is used in the name because physicists typically use the symbol to denote a hermitian adjoint, and are often not worried about the subtleties associated with an infinite number of dimensions. (Mathematicians usually use the asterisk, *, to denote the hermitian adjoint.) †-algebras feature prominently in quantum mechanics, and especially quantum information science.

References

1. John A. Holbrook, David W. Kribs, and Raymond Laflamme. "Noiseless Subsystems and the Structure of the Commutant in Quantum Error Correction." Quantum Information Processing. Volume 2, Number 5, p. 381–419. Oct 2003.