The local index formula in semifinite von Neumann algebras II: The even case

We generalise the even local index formula of Connes and Moscovici to the case of spectral triples for a *-subalgebra A of a general semifinite von Neumann algebra. The proof is a variant of that for the odd case which appears in Part I. To allow for algebras with a non-trivial centre we have to establish a theory of unbounded Fredholm operators in a general semifinite von Neumann algebra and in particular prove a generalised McKean-Singer formula.     

Noninjectivity of the Predual Bimodule of the Measure Algebra for Infinite Discrete Groups

In this paper, it is proved that the predual bimodule of the measure algebra of an infinite discrete group is not injective despite the fact that the measure algebra of an amenable group is amenable in the sense of Connes. Thus the well-known result of Khelemskii (claiming that, for a von Neumann algebra, Connes-amenability is equivalent to the condition that the predual bimodule is injective) cannot be extended to measure algebras. Moreover, for a discrete amenable group, we give a simple formula for a normal virtual diagonal of the measure algebra. It is shown that a certain canonical bimodule over the measure algebra is not normal.     

The local index formula in semifinite Von Neumann algebras I: Spectral flow

We generalise the local index formula of Connes and Moscovici to the case of spectral triples for a *-subalgebra A of a general semifinite von Neumann algebra. In this setting it gives a formula for spectral flow along a path joining an unbounded self-adjoint Breuer-Fredholm operator, affiliated to the von Neumann algebra, to a unitarily equivalent operator. Our proof is novel even in the setting of the original theorem and relies on the introduction of a function valued cocycle which is ‘almost’ a (b,B)-cocycle in the cyclic cohomology of A.     

Co-amenability and Connes’s embedding problem

A longstanding open question of Connes asks whether any finite von Neumann algebra embeds into an ultraproduct of finite-dimensional matrix algebras.As of yet,algebras verified to satisfy the Connes’s embedding property belong to just a few special classes (e.g.,amenable algebras and free group factors).In this article,we prove that von Neumann algebras satisfying Popa’s co-amenability have Connes’s embedding property.     

Non injectivity of the q-deformed von Neumann algebra

In this paper we prove that the von Neumann algebra generated by q-gaussians is not injective as soon as the dimension of the underlying Hilbert space is greater than 1. Our approach is based on a suitable vector valued Khintchine type inequality for Wick products. The same proof also works for the more general setting of a Yang-Baxter deformation. Our techniques can also be extended to the so called q-Araki-Woods von Neumann algebras recently introduced by Hiai. In this latter case, we obtain the non injectivity under some asssumption on the spectral set of the positive operator associated with the deformation.Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 46L65, 46L54Revised version: 13 January 2004     

The Hadamard determinant inequality — Extensions to operators on a Hilbert space

A generalization of classical determinant inequalities like Hadamard's inequality and Fischer's inequality is studied. For a version of the inequalities originally proved by Arveson for positive operators in von Neumann algebras with a tracial state, we give a different proof. We also improve and generalize to the setting of finite von Neumann algebras, some ‘Fischer-type’ inequalities by Matic for determinants of perturbed positive-definite matrices. In the process, a conceptual framework is established for viewing these inequalities as manifestations of Jensen's inequality in conjunction with the theory of operator monotone and operator convex functions on $[0,\infty )$. We place emphasis on documenting necessary and sufficient conditions for equality to hold.     

On weakly injective von Neumann algebras

A von Neumann algebra \({M\subset B(H)}\) is called weakly injective if there exist an ultraweakly dense unital C*-subalgebra \({A\subset M}\) and a unital completely positive map φ : B(H) → M such that φ(a) = a for all \({a\in A}\). In this note we present several properties of weakly injective von Neumann algebras and highlight the role these algebras play in relation to the QWEP conjecture.     

AlgebraicK-theory of von Neumann algebras

To every von Neumann algebra, one can associate a (multiplicative) determinant defined on the invertible elements of the algebra with range a subgroup of the Abelian group of the invertible elements of the center of the von Neumann algebra. This determinant is a normalization of the usual determinant for finite von Neumann algebras of type I, for the type II₁-case it is the Fuglede-Kadison determinant, and for properly infinite von Neumann algebras the determinant is constant equal to 1. It is proved that every invertible element of determinant 1 is a product of a finite number of commutators. This extends a result of T. Fack and P. de la Harpe for II₁-factors. As a corollary, it follows that the determinant induces an injection from the algebraicK ₁-group of the von Neumann algebra into the Abelian group of the invertible elements of the center. Its image is described. Another group,K ₁ ^w (A), which is generated by elements in matrix algebras overA that induce injective right multiplication maps, is also computed. We use the Fuglede-Kadison determinant to detect elements in the Whitehead group Wh(G).Partially supported by NSF Grant DMS-9103327.     

Amenability and uniqueness

The main result of this paper is a characterization of properly infinite injective von Neumann algebras and of nuclear C^∗$C^{\ast }$-algebras by using a uniqueness theorem, based on generalizations of Voiculescu’s famous Weyl–von Neumann theorem.     

Strong clustering in type III entropic K-systems

It is shown that Complete Memory Loss (CML) formulated in terms of the Quantum Dynamical Entropy of Connes, Narnhofer and Thirring implies Strong Clustering for some typeIII von Neumann algebras including infinite quantum systems with quasi-free states. This generalizes analogous conclusions on Abelian and typeII ₁ von Neumann algebras. The result is based on the fact that optimal decompositions that obtain the so-called Entropy of a Subalgebra are under control in the two-dimensional case.     

Les espaces Lp d'une algèbre de von Neumann définies par la derivée spatiale

This work answers a question raised by A. Connes (on the spatial theory of von Neumann algebras, preprint, Inst. Hautes Études Sci., France) and generalizes for a general von Neumann algebra the theory of non-commutative integration of J. Dixmier (Bull. Soc. Math. France81 (1953)) and I. Segal (Ann. of Math.57 (1973)).     

Isometries between projection lattices of von Neumann algebras

We investigate surjective isometries between projection lattices of two von Neumann algebras. We show that such a mapping is characterized by means of Jordan ^?-isomorphisms. In particular, we prove that two von Neumann algebras without type ${\mathrm{I}}_1$ direct summands are Jordan ^?-isomorphic if and only if their projection lattices are isometric. Our theorem extends the recent result for type I factors by G.P. Gehér and P. ?emrl, which is a generalization of Wigner's theorem.     

The Hochschild class of the Chern character for semifinite spectral triples

We provide a proof of Connes’ formula for a representative of the Hochschild class of the Chern character for (p,∞)-summable spectral triples. Our proof is valid for all semifinite von Neumann algebras, and all integral p?1. We employ the minimum possible hypotheses on the spectral triples.     

Addendum to “Connesʼ embedding conjecture and sums of hermitian squares” [Adv. Math. 217 (4) (2008) 1816–1837]

We show that Connes? embedding conjecture (CEC) is equivalent to a real version of the same (RCEC). Moreover, we show that RCEC is equivalent to a real, purely algebraic statement concerning trace positive polynomials. This purely algebraic reformulation of CEC had previously been given in both a real and a complex version in a paper of the last two authors. The second author discovered a gap in this earlier proof of the equivalence of CEC to the real algebraic reformulation (the proof of the complex algebraic reformulation being correct). In this note, we show that this gap can be filled with help of the theory of real von Neumann algebras.     

Vertex-Compressed Subalgebras of a Graph von Neumann Algebra

In Cho (Acta Appl. Math. 95:95–134, 2007 and Complex Anal. Oper. Theory 1:367–398, 2007), we introduced Graph von Neumann Algebras which are the (groupoid) crossed product algebras of von Neumann algebras and graph groupoids via graph-representations, which are groupoid actions. In Cho (Acta Appl. Math. 95:95–134, 2007), we showed that such crossed product algebras have the amalgamated reduced free probabilistic properties, where the reduction is totally depending on given directed graphs. Moreover, in Cho (Complex Anal. Oper. Theory 1:367–398, 2007), we characterize each amalgamated free blocks of graph von Neumann algebras: we showed that they are characterized by the well-known von Neumann algebras: Classical group crossed product algebras and (operator-valued) matricial algebras. This shows that we can provide a nicer way to investigate such groupoid crossed product algebras, since we only need to concentrate on studying graph groupoids and characterized algebras. How about the compressed subalgebras of them? i.e., how about the inner (cornered) structures of a graph von Neumann algebra? In this paper, we will provides the answer of this question. Consequently, we show that vertex-compressed subalgebras of a graph von Neumann algebra are characterized by other graph von Neumann algebras. This gives the full characterization of the vertex-compressed subalgebras of a graph von Neumann algebra, by other graph von Neumann algebras.     

The Unitary Implementation of a Locally Compact Quantum Group Action

In this paper we study actions of locally compact quantum groups on von Neumann algebras and prove that every action has a canonical unitary implementation, paralleling Haagerup's classical result on the unitary implementation of a locally compact group action. This result is an important tool in the study of quantum groups in action. We will use it in this paper to study subfactors and inclusions of von Neumann algebras. When α is an action of the locally compact quantum group (M, Δ) on the von Neumann algebra N we can give necessary and sufficient conditions under which the inclusion N^αNM_αN is a basic construction. Here N^α denotes the fixed point algebra and M_αN is the crossed product. When α is an outer and integrable action on a factor N we prove that the inclusion N^αN is irreducible, of depth 2 and regular, giving a converse to the results of M. Enock and R. Nest (1996, J. Funct. Anal.137, 466–543; 1998, J. Funct. Anal.154, 67–109). Finally we prove the equivalence of minimal and outer actions and we generalize the main theorem of Yamanouchi (1999, Math. Scand.84, 297–319): every integrable outer action with infinite fixed point algebra is a dual action.     

On the notion of relative property (T) for inclusions of von Neumann algebras

We prove that the notion of rigidity (or relative property (T)) for inclusions of finite von Neumann algebras recently defined by the second author is equivalent to a weaker property, in which no “continuity constants” are required. The proof is by contradiction and uses infinite products of completely positive maps, regarded as correspondences.     

Character Connes amenability of dual Banach algebras

We study the notion of character Connes amenability of dual Banach algebras and show that if A is an Arens regular Banach algebra, then A^** is character Connes amenable if and only if A is character amenable, which will resolve positively Runde’s problem for this concept of amenability. We then characterize character Connes amenability of various dual Banach algebras related to locally compact groups. We also investigate character Connes amenability of Lau product and module extension of Banach algebras. These help us to give examples of dual Banach algebras which are not Connes amenable.     

Cup products in Hopf-cyclic cohomology

We construct cup products of two different kinds for Hopf-cyclic cohomology. When the Hopf algebra reduces to the ground field our first cup product reduces to Connes' cup product in ordinary cyclic cohomology. The second cup product generalizes Connes–Moscovici's characteristic map for actions of Hopf algebras on algebras. To cite this article: M. Khalkhali, B. Rangipour, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 340 (2005).     

On density of transitive operator algebras

In this paper we study the transitive algebra question by considering the invariant subspace problem relative to von Neumann algebras. We prove that the algebra (not necessarily ∗) generated by a pair of sums of two unitary generators of L(F_∞) and its commutant is strong-operator dense in B(H). The relations between the transitive algebra question and the invariant subspace problem relative to some von Neumann algebras are discussed.