Completely bounded maps and invariant subspaces

Abstract: We provide a description of certain invariance properties of completely bounded bimodule maps in terms of their symbols. If $\mathbb{G}$ is a locally compact quantum group, we characterise the completely bounded $L^{\infty}(\mathbb{G})'$-bimodule maps that send $C_0(\hat{\mathbb{G}})$ into $L^{\infty}(\hat{\mathbb{G}})$ in terms of the properties of the corresponding elements of the normal Haagerup tensor product $L^{\infty}(\mathbb{G}) \otimes_{\sigma{\rm h}} L^{\infty}(\mathbb{G})$. As a consequence, we obtain an intrinsic characterisation of the normal completely bounded $L^{\infty}(\mathbb{G})'$-bimodule maps that leave $L^{\infty}(\hat{\mathbb{G}})$ invariant, extending and unifying results, formulated in the current literature separately for the commutative and the co-commutative cases.