Extensions of operator algebras I

We transcribe a portion of the theory of extensions of C^∗-algebras to general operator algebras. We also include several new general facts about approximately unital ideals in operator algebras and the C^∗-algebras which they generate.     

The Elliott conjecture for Villadsen algebras of the first type

We study the class of simple C^∗-algebras introduced by Villadsen in his pioneering work on perforated ordered K-theory. We establish six equivalent characterisations of the proper subclass which satisfies the strong form of Elliott's classification conjecture: two C^∗-algebraic (Z-stability and approximate divisibility), one K-theoretic (strict comparison of positive elements), and three topological (finite decomposition rank, slow dimension growth, and bounded dimension growth). The equivalence of Z-stability and strict comparison constitutes a stably finite version of Kirchberg's characterisation of purely infinite C^∗-algebras. The other equivalences confirm, for Villadsen's algebras, heretofore conjectural relationships between various notions of good behaviour for nuclear C^∗-algebras.     

The ideal property, the projection property, continuous fields and crossed products

Let A be the C^∗-algebra associated to an arbitrary continuous field of C^∗-algebras. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for A to have the ideal property and, if moreover A is separable, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for A to have the projection property. Some applications of these results are given. We also prove that “many” crossed products of commutative C^∗-algebras by discrete, amenable groups have the projection property, generalizing some of our previous results.     

Spectrum and analytical indices of the C-algebra of Wiener-Hopf operators

We study multivariate generalisations of the classical Wiener-Hopf algebra, which is the C^∗-algebra generated by the Wiener-Hopf operators, given by convolutions restricted to convex cones. By the work of Muhly and Renault, this C^∗-algebra is known to be isomorphic to the reduced C^∗-algebra of a certain restricted action groupoid, given by the action of Euclidean space on a certain compactification. Using groupoid methods, we construct composition series for the Wiener-Hopf C^∗-algebra by a detailed study of this compactification. We compute the spectrum, and express homomorphisms in K-theory induced by the symbol maps which arise by the subquotients of the composition series in analytical terms. Namely, these symbols maps turn out to be given by an analytical family index of a continuous family of Fredholm operators. In a subsequent paper, we also obtain a topological expression of these indices.     

The range of united K-theory

We prove that the united K-theory functor is a surjective functor from the category of real simple separable purely infinite C^∗-algebras to the category of countable acyclic CRT-modules. As a consequence, we show that every complex Kirchberg algebra satisfying the universal coefficient theorem is the complexification of a real C^∗-algebra.     

Separable states and positive maps

Using the natural duality between linear functionals on tensor products of C^∗-algebras with the trace class operators on a Hilbert space H and linear maps of the C^∗-algebra into B(H), we study the relationship between separability, entanglement and the Peres condition of states and positivity properties of the linear maps.     

On the spectral analysis of quantum field Hamiltonians

We define C^∗-algebras on a Fock space such that the Hamiltonians of quantum field models with positive mass are affiliated to them. We describe the quotient of such algebras with respect to the ideal of compact operators and deduce consequences in the spectral theory of these Hamiltonians: we compute their essential spectrum and give a systematic procedure for proving the Mourre estimate.     

Functional calculus and ∗-regularity of a class of Banach algebras II

In this article, we define a natural Banach ∗-algebra for a C^∗-dynamical system (A,G,α) which is slightly bigger than L¹(G;A) (they are the same if A is finite-dimensional). We will show that this algebra is ∗-regular if G has polynomial growth. The main result in this article extends the two main results in [C.W. Leung, C.K. Ng, Functional calculus and ∗-regularity of a class of Banach algebras, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc., in press].     

A Morita theorem for dual operator algebras

We prove that two dual operator algebras are weak^∗ Morita equivalent in the sense of [D.P. Blecher, U. Kashyap, Morita equivalence of dual operator algebras, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 212 (2008) 2401-2412] if and only if they have equivalent categories of dual operator modules via completely contractive functors which are also weak^∗-continuous on appropriate morphism spaces. Moreover, in a fashion similar to the operator algebra case, we characterize such functors as the module normal Haagerup tensor product with an appropriate weak^∗ Morita equivalence bimodule. We also develop the theory of the W^∗-dilation, which connects the non-selfadjoint dual operator algebra with the W^∗-algebraic framework. In the case of weak^∗ Morita equivalence, this W^∗-dilation is a W^∗-module over a von Neumann algebra generated by the non-selfadjoint dual operator algebra. The theory of the W^∗-dilation is a key part of the proof of our main theorem.     

Decomposition rank and absorbing extensions of type I algebras

We prove the following: Let A and B be separable C^*-algebras. Suppose that B is a type I C^*-algebra such that

(i)

B has only infinite dimensional irreducible *-representations, and

(ii)

B has finite decomposition rank.

If

0→B→C→A→0     

The Rohlin property for automorphisms of the Jiang-Su algebra

For projectionless C^∗-algebras absorbing the Jiang-Su algebra tensorially, we study a kind of the Rohlin property for automorphisms. We show that the crossed products obtained by automorphisms with this Rohlin property also absorb the Jiang-Su algebra tensorially under a mild technical condition on the C^∗-algebras. In particular, for the Jiang-Su algebra we show the uniqueness up to outer conjugacy of the automorphism with this Rohlin property.     

Banach space characterizations of unitaries: A survey

We survey Banach space characterizations of unitary elements of C^∗-algebras, JB^∗-triples, and JB-algebras. In the case of the existence of a pre-dual, appropriate specializations of these characterizations are also reviewed.     

On the spectral analysis of many-body systems

We describe the essential spectrum and prove the Mourre estimate for quantum particle systems interacting through k-body forces and creation-annihilation processes which do not preserve the number of particles. For this we compute the “Hamiltonian algebra” of the system, i.e. the C^∗-algebra C generated by the Hamiltonians we want to study, and show that, as in the N-body case, it is graded by a semilattice. Hilbert C^∗-modules graded by semilattices are involved in the construction of C. For example, if we start with an N-body system whose Hamiltonian algebra is CN and then we add field type couplings between subsystems, then the many-body Hamiltonian algebra C is the imprimitivity algebra of a graded Hilbert CN-module.     

Linear maps preserving the minimum and reduced minimum moduli

We describe linear maps from a C^∗-algebra onto another one preserving different spectral quantities such as the minimum modulus, the surjectivity modulus, and the reduced minimum modulus.     

Semigroup crossed products and the induced algebras of lattice-ordered groups

Let (G,G₊) be a quasi-lattice-ordered group with positive cone G₊. Laca and Raeburn have shown that the universal C^∗-algebra C^∗(G,G₊) introduced by Nica is a crossed product BG₊α_×G₊ by a semigroup of endomorphisms. The goal of this paper is to extend some results for totally ordered abelian groups to the case of discrete lattice-ordered abelian groups. In particular given a hereditary subsemigroup H₊ of G₊ we introduce a closed ideal IH₊ of the C^∗-algebra BG₊. We construct an approximate identity for this ideal and show that IH₊ is extendibly α-invariant. It follows that there is an isomorphism between C^∗-crossed products and B₊(G/H)β_×G₊. This leads to our main result that B₊(G/H)β_×G₊ is realized as an induced C^∗-algebra .     

The algebra of harmonic functions for a matrix-valued transfer operator

We analyze matrix-valued transfer operators. We prove that the fixed points of transfer operators form a finite-dimensional C^∗-algebra. For matrix weights satisfying a low-pass condition we identify the minimal projections in this algebra as correlations of scaling functions, i.e., limits of cascade algorithms.     

Non-commutative generalisations of Urysohn's lemma and hereditary inner ideals

We establish several generalisations of Urysohn's lemma in the setting of JB^∗-triples which provide full answers to Problems 1.12 and 1.13 in Fernández-Polo and Peralta (2007) [22]. These results extend the previous generalisations obtained by C.A. Akemann, G.K. Pedersen and L.G. Brown in the setting of C^∗-algebras. A generalised Kadison's transitivity theorem is established for finite sums of pairwise orthogonal compact tripotents in JBW^∗-triples. We introduce the notion of positively open tripotent in the bidual of a JB^∗-triple as an extension of a concept which was already considered in the setting of ternary rings of operators. We investigate the connections appearing between positively open tripotents and hereditary inner ideals.     

The higher fixed point theorem for foliations I. Holonomy invariant currents

In this paper, we prove a higher Lefschetz formula for foliations in the presence of a closed Haefliger current. To this end, we associate with such a current an equivariant cyclic cohomology class of Connes' C^∗-algebra of the foliation, and compute its pairing with the localized equivariant K-theory in terms of local contributions near the fixed points.