The purpose of this note is to describe some algebraic conditions on a Banach algebra which force it to be finite dimensional. One of the main results in Theorem 2 which states that for a locally compact groupG, G is compact if there exists a measure μ in Soc(L¹(G)) such that μ(G) ≠ 0. We also prove thatG is finite if Soc(M(G)) is closed and every nonzero left ideal inM(G) contains a minimal left ideal.

LetM(S) be the Banach algebra of all bounded regular Borel measures on a locally compact Hausdorff semitopological semigroupS with variation norm and convolution as multiplication. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions forM(S)* to have a topologically left invariant mean.

In this paper, among other things, we state and prove the mean ergodic theorem for amenable semigroup algebras.