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.     

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.     

Some permanence properties of C-unique groups

We will study some permanence properties of C^*-unique groups in details. In particular, normal subgroups and extensions will be considered. Among other interesting results, we prove that every second countable amenable group with an injective finite-dimensional representation (not necessarily unitary) is a retract of a C^*-unique group. Moreover, any amenable discrete group is a retract of a discrete C^*-unique group.     

Infinitesimal Generators of C *-Algebras

We develop the method introduced previously, to construct infinitesimal generators on locally compact group C ^*-algebras and on tensor product of C ^*-algebras. It is shown in particular that there is a C ^* -algebra A such that the C ^*-tensor product of A and an arbitrary C ^*-algebra B can have a non-approximately inner strongly one parameter group of ^*-automorphisms.     

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.     

Quantum Real Projective Space, Disc and Spheres

We define the C ^*-algebra of quantum real projective space R P _q ², classify its irreducible representations, and compute its K-theory. We also show that the q-disc of Klimek and Lesniewski can be obtained as a non-Galois Z ₂-quotient of the equator Podle quantum sphere. On the way, we provide the Cartesian coordinates for all Podle quantum spheres and determine an explicit form of isomorphisms between the C ^*-algebras of the equilateral spheres and the C ^*-algebra of the equator one.     

Spectral invariance of smooth crossed products, and rapid decay locally compact groups

We show that all rapid-decay locally compact groups are unimodular and that the set of rapid-decay functions on a locally compact rapidly decaying group forms a dense and spectral invariant Fréchet *-subalgebra of the reduced group C ^*-algebra. In general, the set of rapid-decay functions on a locally compact strongly rapid-decay group with values in a commutative C ^*-algebra forms a dense and spectral invariant Fréchet *-subalgebra of the twisted crossed product C ^*-algebra. The spectral invariance property implies that the K-theories of both algebras are naturally isomorphic under inclusion.This project is supported in part by the National Science Foundation Grant #DMS 92-04005.     

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.     

Quasi-Orthogonalization of Functionals on l2(A)

We study the properties K and E of C ^*-algebra A. These conditions are formulated in the terms of C ^*-Hilbert modules over algebra A and extend the definition of stable rank for any cardinality.     

K-theory for rickart C*-algebras

We give an explicit index map for any properly infinite closed ideal of a Rickart C ^*-algebra. This generalizes Olsen's work on von Neumann algebras. We use our results to compute the topological and the algebraic K ₁-groups of any quotient algebra of a Rickart C ^*-algebra.     

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.     

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.     

Tensor Products of Hilbert Modules Over Locally <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Superscript>*</Superscript>-Algebras

In this paper the tensor products of Hilbert modules over locally C ^*-algebras are defined and their properties are studied. Thus we show that most of the basic properties of the tensor products of Hilbert C ^*-modules are also valid in the context of Hilbert modules over locally C ^*-algebras.     

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.     

A bott periodicity map for crossed products of C*-algebras by discrete groups

A generalization is given of the canonical map from a discrete group into K ₁ of the group C ^*-algebra. Our map also generalizes Rieffel's construction of a projection in an irrational rotation C ^*-algebra.     

On classifying monotone complete algebras of operators

We give a classification of “small” monotone complete C ^*-algebras by order properties. We construct a corresponding semigroup. This classification filters out von Neumann algebras; they are mapped to the zero of the classifying semigroup. We show that there are 2 ^c distinct equivalence classes (where c is the cardinality of the continuum). This remains true when the classification is restricted to special classes of monotone complete C ^*-algebras e.g. factors, injective factors, injective operator systems and commutative algebras which are subalgebras of ℓ^∞. Some examples and applications are given.