On a conjecture by Ghahramani-Lau and related problems concerning topological centres

Let A be a Banach algebra, and consider A^** equipped with the first Arens product. We establish a general criterion which ensures that A is left strongly Arens irregular, i.e., the first topological centre of A^** is reduced to A itself. Using this criterion, we prove that for a very large class of locally compact groups, Ghahramani-Lau's conjecture (cf. [Lau 94] and [Gha-Lau 95]) stating the left strong Arens irregularity of the measure algebra M(G), holds true. (Our methods obviously yield as well the right strong Arens irregularity in the situation considered.)Furthermore, the same condition used above implies that every linear left A^**-module homomorphism on A^* is automatically bounded and w^*-continuous. We finally show that our criterion also yields a partial answer to a question raised by Lau-Ülger (Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 348 (3) (1996) 1191) on the topological centre of the algebra (A^*⊙A)^*, for A having a right approximate identity bounded by 1.     

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.     

Module homomorphisms and multipliers on locally compact quantum groups

For a Banach algebra A with a bounded approximate identity, we investigate the A-module homomorphisms of certain introverted subspaces of A^∗, and show that all A-module homomorphisms of A^∗ are normal if and only if A is an ideal of A∗∗. We obtain some characterizations of compactness and discreteness for a locally compact quantum group G. Furthermore, in the co-amenable case we prove that the multiplier algebra of L¹(G) can be identified with M(G). As a consequence, we prove that G is compact if and only if LUC(G)=WAP(G) and M(G)≅Z(LUC^∗(G)); which partially answer a problem raised by Volker Runde.     

Regularity of Segal algebras

Let A be a Banach algebra. The second dual A** can be equipped with two multiplications, each of which is a natural extension of the original multiplication in A. The algebra A is said to be Arens regular if these two multiplications coincide. We give necessary (and, for some classes of algebras, sufficient) conditions for the regularity of a Segal algebra. We also obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the weak complete continuity of a Segal algebra.     

Topological free entropy dimension in unital C-algebras

The notion of topological free entropy dimension of n-tuple of elements in a unital C^∗ algebra was introduced by Voiculescu. In the paper, we compute topological free entropy dimension of one self-adjoint element and topological free orbit dimension of one self-adjoint element in a unital C^∗ algebra. We also calculate the values of topological free entropy dimensions of any families of self-adjoint generators of some unital C^∗ algebras, including irrational rotation C^∗ algebra, UHF algebra, and minimal tensor product of two reduced C^∗ algebras of free groups.     

A semilattice structure for Arens products

Let (A,?) be a Banach algebra. Then for n∈?, A ⁽²ⁿ⁾ has 2 ⁿ Arens products. In this paper we study the relations between the Arens products on A ⁽²ⁿ⁾. Moreover, if P _n (A) denotes the set of all Arens products on A ⁽²ⁿ⁾, for n∈?, we show that $P(A)=\bigcup_{n=1}^{\infty} P_{n}(A)$ is a ∧-semilattice. Also, we study P(A) as an infinite commutative semigroup and P(A)?{?} as a free semigroup generated by two elements. Then we investigate amenability and weak amenability for their semigroup Banach algebras.     

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].     

On character amenability of Banach algebras

We continue our work [E. Kaniuth, A.T. Lau, J. Pym, On φ-amenability of Banach algebras, Math. Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 144 (2008) 85-96] in the study of amenability of a Banach algebra A defined with respect to a character φ of A. Various necessary and sufficient conditions of a global and a pointwise nature are found for a Banach algebra to possess a φ-mean of norm 1. We also completely determine the size of the set of φ-means for a separable weakly sequentially complete Banach algebra A with no φ-mean in A itself. A number of illustrative examples are discussed.     

Algebraic properties of isometries between groups of invertible elements in Banach algebras

We prove that an isometry T between open subgroups of the invertible groups of unital Banach algebras A and B is extended to a real-linear isometry up to translation between these Banach algebras. While a unital isometry between unital semisimple commutative Banach algebras need not be multiplicative, we prove in this paper that if A is commutative and A or B are semisimple, then (T(eA))⁻¹T is extended to an isometric real algebra isomorphism from A onto B. In particular, A−1 is isometric as a metric space to B−1 if and only if they are isometrically isomorphic to each other as metrizable groups if and only if A is isometrically isomorphic to B as a real Banach algebra; it is compared by the example of ?elazko concerning on non-isomorphic Banach algebras with the homeomorphically isomorphic invertible groups. Isometries between open subgroups of the invertible groups of unital closed standard operator algebras on Banach spaces are investigated and their general forms are given.     

Lie theory and the Chern-Weil homomorphism

Let P→B be a principal G-bundle. For any connection θ on P, the Chern-Weil construction of characteristic classes defines an algebra homomorphism from the Weil algebra Wg=Sg^∗⊗∧g^∗ into the algebra of differential forms A=Ω(P). Invariant polynomials inv(Sg^∗)⊂Wg map to cocycles, and the induced map in cohomology inv(Sg^∗)→H(Abasic) is independent of the choice of θ. The algebra Ω(P) is an example of a commutativeg-differential algebra with connection, as introduced by H. Cartan in 1950. As observed by Cartan, the Chern-Weil construction generalizes to all such algebras.In this paper, we introduce a canonical Chern-Weil map Wg→A for possibly non-commutativeg-differential algebras with connection. Our main observation is that the generalized Chern-Weil map is an algebra homomorphism “up to g-homotopy”. Hence, the induced map inv(Sg^∗)→Hbasic(A) is an algebra homomorphism. As in the standard Chern-Weil theory, this map is independent of the choice of connection.Applications of our results include: a conceptually easy proof of the Duflo theorem for quadratic Lie algebras, a short proof of a conjecture of Vogan on Dirac cohomology, generalized Harish-Chandra projections for quadratic Lie algebras, an extension of Rouvière's theorem for symmetric pairs, and a new construction of universal characteristic forms in the Bott-Shulman complex.     

On the Moore-Penrose inverse, EP Banach space operators, and EP Banach algebra elements

The main concern of this note is the Moore-Penrose inverse in the context of Banach spaces and algebras. Especially attention will be given to a particular class of elements with the aforementioned inverse, namely EP Banach space operators and Banach algebra elements, which will be studied and characterized extending well-known results obtained in the frame of Hilbert space operators and C^∗-algebra elements.     

Weak continuous states on Banach algebras

We prove that if a unital Banach algebra A is the dual of a Banach space A_? then the set of normal states is weak^∗ dense in the set of all states on A. Further, normal states linearly span A_?.     

On ideals in the bidual of the Fourier algebra and related algebras

Let G be a compact nonmetrizable topological group whose local weight b(G) has uncountable cofinality. Let H be an amenable locally compact group, A(G×H) the Fourier algebra of G×H, and UC₂(G×H) the space of uniformly continuous functionals in VN(G×H)=A^∗(G×H). We use weak factorization of operators in the group von Neumann algebra VN(G×H) to prove that there exist at least ²b(G)² left ideals of dimensions at least ²b(G)² in A(G×H)^∗∗ and in UC₂^∗(G×H). We show that every nontrivial right ideal in A(G×H)^∗∗ and in UC₂^∗(G×H) has dimension at least ²b(G)².     

Dynamical Systems Associated with Crossed Products

In this paper, we consider both algebraic crossed products of commutative complex algebras A with the integers under an automorphism of A, and Banach algebra crossed products of commutative C ^*-algebras A with the integers under an automorphism of A. We investigate, in particular, connections between algebraic properties of these crossed products and topological properties of naturally associated dynamical systems. For example, we draw conclusions about the ideal structure of the crossed product by investigating the dynamics of such a system. To begin with, we recall results in this direction in the context of an algebraic crossed product and give simplified proofs of generalizations of some of these results. We also investigate new questions, for example about ideal intersection properties of algebras properly between the coefficient algebra A and its commutant A′. Furthermore, we introduce a Banach algebra crossed product and study the relation between the structure of this algebra and the topological dynamics of a naturally associated system.     

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.     

Inner derivations on ultraprime normed real algebras

We show that the set of all inner derivations of an ultraprime real Banach algebra is closed within all bounded derivations. More concretely, we show that for such an algebra A there exists a positive number γ (depending only on the “constant of ultraprimeness” of A) satisfying γ ∥ a+Z(A) ∥≦∥ D _a ∥ for all a in A, where Z(A) denotes the centre of A and D _a denotes the inner derivation on A induced by a. This result is an extension of the corresponding complex version obtained by the authors in [Proc. Amer. Math. Soc., to appear]. The proof relies on the following theorem: ultraproducts of a family of central ultraprime real Banach algebras with a unit and with constant of ultraprimeness greater than or equal to a fixed positive constant K are central ultraprime Banach algebras with a unit. This fact is obained via a general result for real Banach algebras that reads as follows: If A is a central real Banach algebra with a unit 1, then for every a in A satisfying ∥ 1+a ² ∥<1 we have [1+√1?||1+1a ²||]²≦2(|?l+M _a ||+||D _a ||) where M _a denotes the two-sided multiplication operator by a on A.     

Cohomological Characterizations of Biprojective and Biflat Banach Algebras

 Let A be a biprojective Banach algebra, and let A-mod-A be the category of Banach A-bimodules. In this paper, for every given -mod-A, we compute all the cohomology groups . Furthermore, we give some cohomological characterizations of biprojective Banach algebras. In particular, we show that the following properties of a Banach algebra A are equivalent to its biprojectivity: (i) for all -mod -A; (ii) for all -mod-A; (iii) for all -mod-A. (Here and are, respectively, the Banach A-bimodules of left, right and double multipliers of X.) Further, if A is a biflat Banach algebra and -mod-A, we compute all the cohomology groups , where is the Banach A-bimodule dual to X. Also, we give cohomological characterizations of biflat Banach algebras. We prove that a Banach algebra A is biflat if and only if any of the following conditions is valid: (i’) for all -mod-A; (ii’) for all -mod-A; (iii’) for all -mod-A.     

Hyper-Tauberian algebras and weak amenability of Figà-Talamanca-Herz algebras

We study certain commutative regular semisimple Banach algebras which we call hyper-Tauberian algebras. We first show that they form a subclass of weakly amenable Tauberian algebras. Then we investigate the basic and hereditary properties of them. Moreover, we show that if A is a hyper-Tauberian algebra, then the linear space of bounded derivations from A into any Banach A-bimodule is reflexive. We apply these results to the Figà-Talamanca-Herz algebra A_p(G) of a locally compact group G for p∈(1,∞). We show that A_p(G) is hyper-Tauberian if the principal component of G is abelian. Finally, by considering the quantization of these results, we show that for any locally compact group G, A_p(G), equipped with an appropriate operator space structure, is a quantized hyper-Tauberian algebra. This, in particular, implies that A_p(G) is operator weakly amenable.     

Cohomological Characterizations of Biprojective and Biflat Banach Algebras

 Let A be a biprojective Banach algebra, and let A-mod-A be the category of Banach A-bimodules. In this paper, for every given -mod-A, we compute all the cohomology groups . Furthermore, we give some cohomological characterizations of biprojective Banach algebras. In particular, we show that the following properties of a Banach algebra A are equivalent to its biprojectivity: (i) for all -mod -A; (ii) for all -mod-A; (iii) for all -mod-A. (Here and are, respectively, the Banach A-bimodules of left, right and double multipliers of X.) Further, if A is a biflat Banach algebra and -mod-A, we compute all the cohomology groups , where is the Banach A-bimodule dual to X. Also, we give cohomological characterizations of biflat Banach algebras. We prove that a Banach algebra A is biflat if and only if any of the following conditions is valid: (i’) for all -mod-A; (ii’) for all -mod-A; (iii’) for all -mod-A. Received 16 June 1998