On the extension of surjective isometries whose domain is the unit sphere of a space of compact operators

Abstract: We prove that every surjective isometry from the unit sphere of the space $K(H),$ of all compact operators on an arbitrary complex Hilbert space $H$, onto the unit sphere of an arbitrary real Banach space $Y$ can be extended to a surjective real linear isometry from $K(H)$ onto $Y$. This is probably the first example of an infinite dimensional non-commutative C$^*$-algebra containing no unitaries and satisfying the Mazur--Ulam property. We also prove that all compact C$^*$-algebras and all weakly compact JB$^*$-triples satisfy the Mazur--Ulam property.