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.     

On the Homotopy Type of the Unitary Group and the Grassmann Space of Purely Infinite Simple C*-Algebras

We completely determine the homotopy groups _n (.) of the unitary group and the space of projections of purely infinite simple C ^*-algebras in terms of K-theory. We also prove that the unitary group of a purely infinite simple C ^*-algebra A is a contractible topological space if and only if K0(A) = K1(A) = {0}, and again if and only if the unitary group of the associated generalized Calkin algebra L(HA) / K(HA) is contractible. The well-known Kuiper's theorem is extended to a new class of C ^*-algebras.     

Topological *-algebras withC*-enveloping algebras II

UniversalC*-algebrasC*(A) exist for certain topological *-algebras called algebras with aC*-enveloping algebra. A Frechet *-algebraA has aC*-enveloping algebra if and only if every operator representation ofA mapsA into bounded operators. This is proved by showing that every unbounded operator representation π, continuous in the uniform topology, of a topological *-algebraA, which is an inverse limit of Banach *-algebras, is a direct sum of bounded operator representations, thereby factoring through the enveloping pro-C*-algebraE(A) ofA. Given aC*-dynamical system (G,A,α), any topological *-algebraB containingC _c (G,A) as a dense *-subalgebra and contained in the crossed productC*-algebraC*(G,A,α) satisfiesE(B) =C*(G,A,α). IfG = ℝ, ifB is an α-invariant dense Frechet *-subalgebra ofA such thatE(B) =A, and if the action α onB ism-tempered, smooth and by continuous *-automorphisms: then the smooth Schwartz crossed productS(ℝ,B,α) satisfiesE(S(ℝ,B,α)) =C*(ℝ,A,α). WhenG is a Lie group, theC ^∞-elementsC ^∞(A), the analytic elementsC ^ω(A) as well as the entire analytic elementsC ^є(A) carry natural topologies making them algebras with aC*-enveloping algebra. Given a non-unitalC*-algebraA, an inductive system of idealsI _α is constructed satisfyingA =C*-ind limI _α; and the locally convex inductive limit ind limI _α is anm-convex algebra with theC*-enveloping algebraA and containing the Pedersen idealK _a ofA. Given generatorsG with weakly Banach admissible relationsR, we construct universal topological *-algebraA(G, R) and show that it has aC*-enveloping algebra if and only if (G, R) isC*-admissible.     

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.     

Semi-Invertible Extensions and Asymptotic Homomorphisms

We consider the semi-group Ext(A, B) of extensions of a separable C ^*-algebra A by a stable C ^*-algebra B modulo unitary equivalence and modulo asymptotically split extensions. This semi-group contains the group Ext^–1/2(A, B) of invertible elements (i.e. of semi-invertible extensions). We show that the functor Ext^–1/2(A, B) is homotopy invariant and that it coincides with the functor of homotopy classes of asymptotic homomorphisms from C A to M(B) that map S A C( ) A into B.     

Enveloping Σ-C *-algebra of a smooth Frechet algebra crossed product by ℝ,K-theory and differential structure inC *-algebras

Given anm-tempered strongly continuous action α of ℝ by continuous^*-automorphisms of a Frechet^*-algebraA, it is shown that the enveloping ↡-C ^*-algebraE(S(ℝ, A^∞, α)) of the smooth Schwartz crossed productS(ℝ,A ^∞, α) of the Frechet algebra A^∞ of C^∞-elements ofA is isomorphic to the Σ-C ^*-crossed productC ^*(ℝ,E(A), α) of the enveloping Σ-C ^*-algebraE(A) ofA by the induced action. WhenA is a hermitianQ-algebra, one getsK-theory isomorphismRK _*(S(ℝ, A^∞, α)) =K ^*(C ^*(ℝ,E(A), α) for the representableK-theory of Frechet algebras. An application to the differential structure of aC ^*-algebra defined by densely defined differential seminorms is given.     

Equivalence of the C*-Algebras qℂ and C 0(ℝ2) in the Asymptotic Category

The results of Kasparov, Connes, Higson, and Loring imply the coincidence of the functors [[qℂ ⊗ K, B ⊗ K]] = [[C ₀(ℝ²) ⊗ K, B ⊗ K]] for any C*-algebra B; here[[A, B]] denotes the set of homotopy classes of asymptotic homomorphisms from A to B. Inthe paper, this assertion is strengthened; namely, it is shown that the algebras qℂ ⊗ K and C ₀(ℝ²) ⊗ K are equivalent in the category whose objects are C*-algebras and morphisms are classes of homotopic asymptotic homomorphisms. Some geometric properties of the obtained equivalence are studied. Namely, the algebras qℂ ⊗ K and C ₀(ℝ²) ⊗ K are represented as fields of C*-algebras; it is proved that the equivalence is not fiber-preserving, i.e., is does not take fibers to fibers. It is also proved that the algebras under consideration are not homotopy equivalent.__________Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, vol. 77, no. 5, 2005, pp. 788–796.Original Russian Text Copyright ©2005 by T. V. Shul’man.     

Translation Invariant Asymptotic Homomorphisms and Extensions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis>*-Algebras

Let A and B be C*-algebras, let A be separable, and let B be σ-unital and stable. We introduce the notion of translation invariance for asymptotic homomorphisms from S A = C₀(?) ? A to B and show that the Connes—Higson construction applied to any extension of A by B is homotopic to a translation invariant asymptotic homomorphism. In the other direction we give a construction which produces extensions of A by B from a translation invariant asymptotic homomorphism. This leads to our main result that the homotopy classes of extensions coincide with the homotopy classes of translation invariant asymptotic homomorphisms.     

Classification of extensions of classifiable -algebras

For a certain class of extensions of C^*-algebras in which B and A belong to classifiable classes of C^*-algebras, we show that the functor which sends to its associated six term exact sequence in K-theory and the positive cones of K₀(B) and K₀(A) is a classification functor. We give two independent applications addressing the classification of a class of C^*-algebras arising from substitutional shift spaces on one hand and of graph algebras on the other. The former application leads to the answer of a question of Carlsen and the first named author concerning the completeness of stabilized Matsumoto algebras as an invariant of flow equivalence. The latter leads to the first classification result for nonsimple graph C^*-algebras.     

Extremal K -Theory and Index for C*-Algebras

We develop the general theory for a new functor K _e on the category of C ^*-algebras. The extremal K-set, K _e (A), of a C ^*-algebra A is defined by means of homotopy classes of extreme partial isometries. It contains K ₁ (A) and admits a partially defined addition extending the addition in K ₁ (A), so that we have an action of K ₁ (A) on K _e (A). We show how this functor relates to K ₀ and K ₁, and how it can be used as a carrier of information relating the various K-groups of ideals and quotients of A. The extremal K-set is then used to extend the classical theory of index for Fredholm and semi-Fredholm operators.     

Embedding an AH-Algebra into a Simple C*-Algebra with Prescribed KK-Data

Let X be a connected finite CW complex. We show that, given a positive homomorphism Hom(K _*(C(X)), K _*(A)) with [1 _C(X)][1 _A ], where A is a unital separable simple C ^*-algebra with real rank zero, stable rank one and weakly unperforated K ₀(A), there exists a homomorphism h: C(X)A such that h induces . We also prove a structure result for unital separable simple C ^*-algebras A with real rank zero, stable rank one and weakly unperforated K ₀(A), namely, there exists a simple AH-algebra of real rank zero contained in A which determines the K-theory of A.     

On the Universal C*-Algebra Generated by a Partial Isometry

A universal C*-algebra is constructed which is generated by a partial isometry. Using grading on this algebra we construct an analog of Cuntz algebras which gives a homotopical interpretation of KK-groups. It is proved that this algebra is homotopy equivalent up to stabilization by 2×2 matrices to M ₂(C). Therefore those algebras are KK-isomorphic.     

Groupoid structure of Toeplitz algebra over L-shaped domain

The structure of the groupoidG associated with the ToeplitzC ^*-algebraC ^*(Ω) of the L-shaped domain is discussed. The detailed characterization ofM _∞ by the classification of the closed subgroup of the Euclidean space is presented. Project supported partially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fok Yingtung Educational Foundation and the Foundation of the State Education Commission of China.     

A new look at KK-theory

We describe the Kasparov group KK(A, B) as the set of homotopy classes of homomorphisms from an algebra qA associated with A into K B. The algebra qA consists of K-theory differential forms over A. Its construction is dual to that of M ₂(A). The analysis of qA and of its interplay with M ₂(A) gives the basic results of KK-theory.Partially supported by NSF.     

Rieffel projections in certain transformation group C*-algebras

LetA be the transformation groupC ^*-algebra associated with an arbitrary orientation-preserving homeomorphism of . ThisC ^*-algebra contains an infinite family of projections, called Rieffel projections, each of which generates theK ₀-groupK ₀(A). Although these projections must beK-theoretically equivalent, it is easy to see that most are not Murray-von Neumann equivalent. The mystery of how large the matrix algebra must be to implement theK-theory equivalence, is solved by explicitly constructing the equivalence in the smallest possible algebra:A with unit adjoined.Partially supported by NSF Grant DMS 8901923.     

The Novikov Conjecture for Low Degree Cohomology Classes

We outline a twisted analogue of the Mishchenko–Kasparov approach to prove the Novikov conjecture on the homotopy invariance of the higher signatures. Using our approach, we give a new and simple proof of the homotopy invariance of the higher signatures associated to all cohomology classes of the classifying space that belong to the subring of the cohomology ring of the classifying space that is generated by cohomology classes of degree less than or equal to 2, a result that was first established by Connes and Gromov and Moscovici using other methods. A key new ingredient is the construction of a tautological C* _r (, )-bundle and connection, which can be used to construct a C* _r (, )-index that lies in the Grothendieck group of C* _r (, ), where is a multiplier on the discrete group corresponding to a degree 2 cohomology class. We also utilise a main result of Hilsum and Skandalis to establish our theorem.     

The Atiyah-Segal completion theorem for C*-algebras

We generalize the Atiyah-Segal completion theorem to C ^*-algebras as follows. Let A be a C ^*-algebra with a continuous action of the compact Lie group G. If K _* ^G (A) is finitely generated as an R(G)-module, or under other suitable restrictions, then the I(G)-adic completion K _* ^G (A) is isomorphic to RK _*([A C(EG)]^G), where RK _* is representable K-theory for - C ^*-algebras and EG is a classifying space for G. As a corollary, we show that if and are homotopic actions of G, and if K _*(C ^* (G,A,)) and K _*(C ^* (G,A,)) are finitely generated, then K _*(C ^*(G,A,))K_*(C ^* (G,A,)). We give examples to show that this isomorphism fails without the completions. However, we prove that this isomorphism does hold without the completions if the homotopy is required to be norm continuous.This work was partially supported by an NSF Graduate Fellowship and by an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship.     

Differential structure of certainC(X) xα Z

In this paper, we show that, without involving theC*-bundle theory, elementary differential topology can do the classification of homogeneousC*-crossed productC(X) x Z, whereX is a compact differentiable manifold of low dimension and is a diffeomorphism ofX. The motivation of this work is the Shultz's theorem which states that aC*-algebra can be identified with its pure state space carryingw*-topology and certain geometric structure.