In this paper we first show that for a locally compact amenable group $G$, every proper abstract Segal algebra of the Fourier algebra on $G$ is not approximately amenable; consequently, every proper Segal algebra on a locally compact abelian group is not approximately amenable. Then using the hypergroup generated by the dual of a compact group, it is shown that all proper Segal algebras of a class of compact groups including the $2\times 2$ special unitary group, $\mathrm{SU} (2)$, are not approximately amenable.

The $\ell^{1}$-convolution algebra of a semilattice is known to have trivial cohomology in degrees 1, 2 and 3 whenever the coefficient bimodule is symmetric. We extend this result to all cohomology groups of degree $\geq 1$ with symmetric coefficients. Our techniques prove a stronger splitting result, namely that the splitting can be made natural with respect to the underlying semilattice.

Let F ⊂ G be closed and A(F) = A(G)/IF. If F is a Helson set then A(F)** is an amenable (semisimple) Banach algebra. Our main result implies the following theorem: Let G be a locally compact group, F ⊂ G closed, a ∈ G. Assume either (a) For some non-discrete closed subgroup H, the interior of F ∩ aH in aH is non-empty, or (b) R ⊂ G, S ⊂ R is a symmetric set and aS ⊂ F. Then A(F)** is a non-amenable non-semisimple Banach algebra. This raises the question: How ‘thin’ can F be for A(F)** to remain a non-amenable Banach algebra?

Let G1, G2 be locally compact real-compact spaces. A linear map T defined from C(G1) into C(G2) is said to be separating or disjointness preserving if f = g ≡ 0 implies Tf = Tg ≡ 0 f or all f, g ∈ C(G1). In this paper we prove that both a separating map which preserves non-vanishing functions and a separating bijection which satisfies condition (M) (see Definition 4) are automatically continuous and can be written as weighted composition maps. We also study the effect of separating surjections (respectively injections) on the underlying spaces G1 and G2.

Next we apply the above results to give an algebraic characterization of locally compact Abelian groups, similar to the one given in [7] for compact Abelian groups in the presence of ring isomorphisms.

Finally, locally compact (not necessarily Abelian) groups are considered. We provide a sharpening of a result of Edwards and study the effect of onto (respectively injective) weighted composition maps on the groups G1 and G2.