Let $H$ be a Hilbert space, and $S\subseteq \mathcal{B}(H)$. We denote 
$\bar S$ the ultraweak closure of $S$, and $B\_r$ the closed ball of center 0 
and radius $r>0$ of the normed space $\mathcal{B}(H)$. 


If $S$ is a subalgebra of $\mathcal{B}(H)$, Do we have $\overline{S\cap B\_r} = \bar S \cap B\_r$ ?



Ultraweak closure inside a closed ball
The answer is NO for general non-selfadjoint subalgebras. With a subspace $X\subset \mathcal{B}(H)$, one can associate a subalgebra
$$S\_X= \langle \begin{pmatrix} \alpha & x \cr 0 & \alpha \end{pmatrix} : \alpha \in \mathbb{C}I\_H,\ x \in X \rangle \subset{\cal B}(H\oplus H).$$ 
Now choose a state $\omega$ which eliminates ${\cal K}(H)$ and let $X = \langle x \in B(H) : 2 x\_{11} = \omega(x) \rangle$. Then, $\overline{S\_X}=S\_{\mathcal{B}(H)}$. However, since $x\in X\cap B\_r$ implies $|x\_{11}|\le r/2$, one has $\overline{S\_X\cap B\_r} \neq \overline{S\_X}\cap B\_r$.


In passing, I'll explain why Kaplansky's density theorem holds for $\mathrm{C}^\ast$-algebras. If $S \subset \mathcal{B}(H)$ is a subspace, then the inclusion extends to a weak$^\ast$-ultraweak continuous contraction $\pi\colon S^{\ast\ast}\to\mathcal{B}(H)$. By continuity and the Goldstine's theorem, one has $\overline{S\cap B\_r}=\pi(S^{\ast\ast}\cap B\_r)$. But if one knows $S^{\ast\ast}$ is actually a $\mathrm{C}^\ast$-algebra and $\pi$ is a $\ast$-homomorphism, then one gets $\pi(S^{\ast\ast}) \cong S^{\ast\ast}/\ker\pi$ isometrically, which implies $\pi(S^{\ast\ast}\cap B\_r)=\pi(S^{\ast\ast})\cap B\_r = \overline{S}\cap B\_r$. This proof is probably circular, because Kaplansky's density theorem would be needed to justify some results quoted above. 


