TITLE: $C(X)$ as finitely generated $C^*$-algebra
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: Let $X$ be a Hausdorff space. Suppose that $C(X)$ (or $C_0(X)$) is a finitely generated $C^*$-algebra. What we can say about $X$ ? For example can we characterize its inductive dimension, axioms of countability etc. ?

REPLY [7 votes]: The maximal ideal space $\Delta$ of a finitely generated Banach algebra is homeomorphic to a compact subset of $\mathbb{C}^n$. On the other hand, evaluation at each point of $X$ is clearly a complex homomorphism of $C(X)$. We conclude that $X$ is homeomorphic to a subset of a compact subset of $\mathbb{C}^n$. 
Edit: actually, if $X$ is not compact $C(X)$ is not a Banach algebra at all (locally compact for $C_0(X)$). In locally compact case, as Nik Weaver showed in comments, $\Delta \cup \{0\}$ is compact in $\mathbb{C}^n$, so $\Delta$ is homeomorphic to a closed subset of some Euclidean space. 
Also, Stone-Weierstrass theorem shows that all such $X$ satisfy the condition.