The smallness problem for -algebras

Akemann showed that any von Neumann algebra with a weak^* separable dual space has a faithful normal representation on a separable Hilbert space. He posed the question: If a C^*-algebra has a weak^* separable state space, must it have a faithful representation on a separable Hilbert space? Wright solved this question negatively and showed that a unital C^*-algebra has the weak^* separable state space if and only if it has a unital completely positive map, into a type I factor on a separable Hilbert space, whose restriction to the self-adjoint part induces an order isomorphism. He called such a C^*-algebra almost separably representable. We say that a unital C^*-algebra is small if it has a unital complete isometry into a type I factor on a separable Hilbert space. In this paper we show that a unital C^*-algebra is small if and only if the state spaces of all n by n matrix algebras over the C^*-algebra are weak^*-separable. It is natural to ask whether almost separably representable algebras are small or not. We settle this question positively for simple C^*-algebras but the general question remains open.     

The Fredholm Index for Elements of Toeplitz-Composition C<Superscript>*</Superscript>-Algebras

We analyze the essential sectrum and index theory of elements of Toeplitz-composition C^*-algebras (algebras generated by the Toeplitz algebra and a single linear-fractional composition operator, acting on the Hardy space of the unit disk). For automorphic composition operators we show that the quotient of the Toeplitz-composition algebra by the compacts is isomorphic to the crossed product C^*-algebra for the action of the symbol on the boundary circle. Using this result we obtain sufficient conditions for polynomial elements of the algebra to be Fredholm, by analyzing the spectrum of elements of the crossed product. We also obtain an integral formula for the Fredholm index in terms of a generalized Chern character. Finally we prove an index formula for the case of the non-parabolic, non-automorphic linear fractional maps studied by Kriete, MacCluer and Moorhouse.     

Chain conditions for C*-algebras coming from Hilbert C*-modules

In this paper we define and study chain conditions for Hilbert C*-modules through their C*-algebras of compact operators and discuss their perseverance under Morita equivalence and tensor products. We show that these chain conditions are passed from the C*-algebra to its Hilbert module under certain conditions. We also study chain conditions for Hilbert modules coming from inclusion of C*-algebra with a faithful conditional expectation.     

The Riccati algebraic equation in a locallyC ⋆-algebra

The stabilizability and complete stabilizability of a pair of elements and the structure of the set of selfadjoint solutions of the algebraic Riccati equation is studied inC ^*-algebras and locallyC ^*-algebras which includes certain algebras of unbounded operators. Under some mild assumptions, selfadjoint solutions are in one-to-one correspondence with a particular set of idempotents.     

Extension algebras of Cuntz algebra

In this paper, we construct representatives for all equivalence classes of the unital essential extension algebras of Cuntz algebra by the C^*-algebras of compact operators on a separable infinite-dimensional Hilbert space. We also compute their K-groups and semigroups and classify these extension algebras up to isomorphism by their semigroups.     

Quasi-Radial Quasi-Homogeneous Symbols and Commutative Banach Algebras of Toeplitz Operators

We present here a quite unexpected result: Apart from already known commutative C*-algebras generated by Toeplitz operators on the unit ball, there are many other Banach algebras generated by Toeplitz operators which are commutative on each weighted Bergman space. These last algebras are non conjugated via biholomorphisms of the unit ball, non of them is a C*-algebra, and for n = 1 all of them collapse to the algebra generated by Toeplitz operators with radial symbols.     

TheK-theory of AF embeddings of the rational rotation algebras

Our main result is the construction of an embedding ofC(T²) into an approximately finite-dimensionalC ^*-algebra which induces an injection onK ₀(C(T²)). The existence of this embedding implies that Cech cohomology cannot be extended to a stable, continuous homology theory forC ^*-algebras which admits a well-behaved Chern character. Homotopy properties ofC ^*-algebras are also considered. For example, we show that the second homotopy functor forC ^*-algebras is discontinuous. Similar embeddings are constructed for all the rational rotation algebras, with the consequence that none of the rational rotation algebras satisfies the homotopy property called semiprojectivity.     

Topological function-theoretic proofs in spectral theory

In this paper, the spectral theorem and related characterizations of the spectrum and the spectral projections for bounded self adjoint and normal operators on a Hilbert space, are proved in purely topological —function theoretic terms. The basis for such a development, is the Gelfand—Naimark theorem for commutativeC ^*-algebras and the fact that the structure space of the (abelian) von Neumann algebra generated by the operator is a Stonean space.     

Gromov's translation algebras, growth and amenability of operator algebras

Translation algebras of finitely generated *-algebras of bounded linear operators on a separable Hilbert space are introduced. Two equivalent forms of amenability for finitely generated *-algebras in terms of the existence of Følner sequences are introduced. These are related to the existence of traces on the associated translation algebra and, in the context of C^*-algebras, are related to weak-filterability and to the existence of hypertraces.     

Representations and positive functionals

We discuss the representation theory of both the locally convex and non-locally convex topological^*-algebras. First we discuss the^*-representation of topological^*-algebras by operators on a Hilbert space. Then we study those topological^*-algebras so that every^*-representation of which on a Hilbert space is necessarily continuous. It is well-known that each^*-representation of aB ^*-algebra on a Hilbert space is continuous. We show that this is true for a large class of^*-algebras more general thanB ^*-algebras, including certain non-locally convex^*-algebras. Finally, we investigate the conditions under which a positive functional on a topological^*-algebra is representable.The research of the first-named author was partially supported by an NSERC grant. This work was done by the second-named author when he was a post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University.     

O*-algebras in Standard System

In the previous papers [10, 12] we have defined and studied the notion of standard generalized vectors which makes possible to develop the Tomita-Takesaki theory in algebras of unbounded operators called O^*-algebras. The main purpose of this paper is to consider when an O^*-algebra is algebraically or spatially isomorphic to an O^*-algebra with a standard generalized vector.     

On the bounded part of a Hilbert module over a locally C *-algebra

We will show that the bounded part of the locally C^*-algebra of all adjointable operators on the Hilbert A-module E is isomorphic to the C^*-algebra L _b(A)(b(E)) of all adjointable operators on the Hilbert b(A)-module b(E). This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Property T＊＊ for C＊-algebras

Extending the notion of property T of finite von Neumann algebras to general von Neumann algebras, we define and study in this paper property T** for (possibly non-unital) C* -algebras. We obtain several results of property T** parallel to those of property T for unital C* -algebras. Moreover, we show that a discrete group Γ has property T if and only if the group C* -algebra Cr* (Γ) (or equivalently, the reduced group C* -algebra Cr* (Γ)) has property T**. We also show that the compact operators K(l2 ) has property T** but c0 does not have property T**.     

Derivations of non-separable C1-algebras

The question of which C¹-algebras have only inner derivations has been considered by a number of authors for 25 years. The separable case is completely solved, so this paper deals only with the non-separable case. In particular, we show that the C¹-tensor product of a von Neumann algebra and an abelian C¹-algebra has only inner derivations. Other special types of C¹-algebras are shown to have only inner derivations as well such as the C¹-tensor product of L(H) (all bounded operators on separable Hilbert space) and any separable C¹-algebra having only inner derivations. Derivations from a smaller C¹-algebra into a larger one are also considered, and this concept is generalized to include derivations between C¹-algebras connected by a ¹-homomorphism. Finally, we consider the general problem of a sequence of linear functionals on a C¹-algebra which converges to zero (in norm) when restricted to any abelian C¹-subalgebra. Does such a sequence converge to zero in norm? The answer is “yes” for normal functionals on L(H), but unknown in general.     

On normed Jordan algebras which are Banach dual spaces

Alfsen, Shultz, and Størmer have defined a class of normed Jordan algebras called JB-algebras, which are closely related to Jordan algebras of self-adjoint operators. We show that the enveloping algebra of a JB-algebra can be identified with its bidual. This is used to show that a JB-algebra is a dual space iff it is monotone complete and admits a separating set of normal states; in this case the predual is unique and consists of all normal linear functionals. Such JB-algebras (“JBW-algebras”) admit a unique decomposition into special and purely exceptional summands. The special part is isomorphic to a weakly closed Jordan algebra of self-adjoint operators. The purely exceptional part is isomorphic to C(X, M₃⁸) (the continuous functions from X into M₃⁸).     

A Serre–Swan theorem for bundles of bounded geometry

The Serre–Swan theorem in differential geometry establishes an equivalence between the category of smooth vector bundles over a smooth compact manifold and the category of finitely generated projective modules over the unital ring of smooth functions. This theorem is here generalized to manifolds of bounded geometry. In this context it states that the category of Hilbert bundles of bounded geometry is equivalent to the category of operator ?-modules over the operator ?-algebra of continuously differentiable functions which vanish at infinity. Operator ?-modules are generalizations of Hilbert C^?$C^{?}$-modules where the category of C^?$C^{?}$-algebras has been replaced by a more flexible category of involutive algebras of bounded operators: The operator ?-algebras. Operator ?-modules play an important role in the study of the unbounded Kasparov product.     

Bounded and Unitary Elements in Pro-C*-algebras

A pro-C*-algebra is a (projective) limit of C*-algebras in the category of topological *-algebras. From the perspective of non-commutative geometry, pro-C*-algebras can be seen as non-commutative k-spaces. An element of a pro-C*-algebra is bounded if there is a uniform bound for the norm of its images under any continuous *-homomorphism into a C*-algebra. The *-subalgebra consisting of the bounded elements turns out to be a C*-algebra. In this paper, we investigate pro-C*-algebras from a categorical point of view. We study the functor (−) _b that assigns to a pro-C*-algebra the C*-algebra of its bounded elements, which is the dual of the Stone-Čech-compactification. We show that (−) _b is a coreflector, and it preserves exact sequences. A generalization of the Gelfand duality for commutative unital pro-C*-algebras is also presented.     

NonstableK-Theory for operator algebras

We show that the homotopy groups of the group of quasi-unitaries inC ^*-algebras form a homology theory on the category of allC ^*-algebras which becomes topologicalK-theory when stabilized. We then show how this functorial setting, in particular the half-exactness of the involved functors, helps to calculate the homotopy groups of the group of unitaries in a series ofC ^*-algebras. The calculations include the case of all AbelianC ^*-algebras and allC ^*-algebras of the formAB, whereA is one of the Cuntz algebras O_n n=2, 3, ..., an infinite dimensional simpleAF-algebra, the stable multiplier or corona algebra of a-unitalC ^*-algebra, a properly infinite von Neumann algebra, or one of the projectionless simpleC ^*-algebras constructed by Blackadar.     

La C*-algèbre d'une quasi-représentation

We show that the C^* -algebra of the regular representation of a discrete group G onto a subset Σ of G is the reduced C^* -algebra of an r-discrete groupoid whose space of units is totally disconnected and contains Σ as a dense subset. The C^*-algebra of quasicrystals, some Cuntz-Krieger and crossed product algebras, and Wiener-Hopf algebras are particular cases of this construction