Harmonic Functions on Homogeneous Spaces

 Given a locally compact group G acting on a locally compact space X and a probability measure σ on G, a real Borel function f on X is called σ-harmonic if it satisfies the convolution equation . We give conditions for the absence of nonconstant bounded harmonic functions. We show that, if G is a union of σ-admissible neighbourhoods of the identity, relative to X, then every bounded σ-harmonic function on X is constant. Consequently, for spread out σ, the bounded σ-harmonic functions are constant on each connected component of a [SIN]-group and, if G acts strictly transitively on a splittable metric space X, then the bounded σ-harmonic functions on X are constant which extends Furstenberg’s result for connected semisimple Lie groups. (Received 13 June 1998; in revised form 31 March 1999)     

Quotient spaces determined by algebras of continuous functions

We prove that if X is a locally compact σ-compact space, then on its quotient, γ(X) say, determined by the algebra of all real valued bounded continuous functions on X, the quotient topology and the completely regular topology defined by this algebra are equal. It follows from this that if X is second countable locally compact, then γ(X) is second countable locally compact Hausdorff if and only if it is first countable. The interest in these results originated in [1] and [7] where the primitive ideal space of a C*-algebra was considered.     

A poisson formula for solvable Lie groups

Given a probability measure μ on a locally compact second countable groupG the space of bounded μ-harmonic functions can be identified withL ^∞(η, α) where (η, α) is a BorelG-space with a σ-finite quasiinvariant measure α. Our goal is to show that when μ is an arbitrary spread out probability measure on a connected solvable Lie groupG then the μ-boundary (η, α) is a contractive homogeneous space ofG. Our approach is based on a study of a class of strongly approximately transitive (SAT) actions ofG. A BorelG-space η with a σ-finite quasiinvariant measure α is called SAT if it admits a probability measurev≪α, such that for every Borel set A with α(A)≠0 and every ε>0 there existsg∈G with ν(gA)>1−ε. Every μ-boundary is a standard SATG-space. We show that for a connected solvable Lie group every standard SATG-space is transitive, characterize subgroupsH⊆G such that the homogeneous spaceG/H is SAT, and establish that the following conditions are equivalent forG/H: (a)G/H is SAT; (b)G/H is contractive; (c)G/H is an equivariant image of a μ-boundary.     

Random walks on almost connected locally compact groups: Boundary and convergence

We prove that, given an arbitrary spread out probability measure μ on an almost connected locally compact second countable groupG, there exists a homogeneous spaceG/H, called the μ-boundary, such that the space of bounded μ-harmonic functions can be identified withL ^∞ (G/H). The μ-boundary is an amenable contractive homogeneous space. We also establish that the canonical projection onto the μ-boundary of the right random walk of law μ always converges in probability and, whenG is amenable, it converges almost surely. The μ-boundary can be characterised as the largest homogeneous space among those homogeneous spaces in which the canonical projection of the random walk converges in probability.     

Harmonic functions on nilpotent groups

For a probability measure on a locally compact groupG which is not supported on any proper closed subgroup, an elementF ofL (G) is called -harmonic if F(st)d(t)=F(s), for almost alls inG. Constant functions are -harmonic and it is known that for abelianG all -harmonic functions are constant. For other groups it is known that non constant -harmonic functions exist and the question of whether such functions exist on nilpotent groups is open, though a number of partial results are known. We show that for nilpotent groups of class 2 there are no non constant -harmonic functions. Our methods also enable us to give new proofs of results similar to the known partial results.     

Courants invariants par une action propre

The purpose of this paper is to characterise the invariant sections-distributions by a proper action. More precisely, we show that if G is a connected Lie group acting on a differentiable vector bundle E→V such that the induced action on V is proper, then the topological vector space of the G-invariant linear functionals (on the space of C ^∞ sections with compact support) equipped with the induced weak-topology (resp. the strong-topology), is isomorphic to the weak (resp. strong) topological dual of the space (of all G-invariant sections σ with compact quotient supp(σ)/G) equipped with a suitable topology; this coincides with the usual C ^∞-topology if the orbit space is compact, and with the Schwartz-topology if the group G is compact. Received: 8 June 1998 / Revised version: 22 September 1998     

Cc （X） Spaces with X Locally Compact

In this paper, we show, among other results, that if X is a [separable] locally compact space X [satisfying the first countability axiom] then the space Cc （X） has countable tightness [if and only if it has bounding tightness] if and only if it is Frechet-Urysohn, if and only if Cc （X） contains a dense （LM） subspace and if and only if X is a-compact.     

Hyperspaces of nowhere topologically complete spaces

It is proved that ifX is a connected locally continuumwise connected coanalytic nowhere topologically complete space, then the hyperspace 2 ^X of all nonempty compact subsets ofX is strongly universal in the class of all coanalytic spaces. Moreover, 2 ^X is homeomorphic to Π₂ ifX is a Baire space, and toQ∖Π₁ ifX contains a dense absoluteG _δ-setG ⊂X such that the intersectionG ∩U is connected for any open connectedU ⊂X. (Here Π₁, Π₁⊂X are the standard subsets of the Hilbert cubeQ absorbing for the classes of analytic and coanalytic spaces, respectively.) Similar results are obtained for higher projective classes. Translated fromMatematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 62, No. 1, pp. 35–51, July, 1997. Translated by O. V. Sipacheva     

Measurable group actions are essentially Borel actions

If a locally compact groupG acts on a Lebesgue probability space (X, λ), it is natural to consider these conditions: (a) each group element preserves the class of λ, and (b) the action function is measurable. The latter is a weakening of the requirement that the action be Borel, providedX has a particular Borel structure as well as the σ-algebra of measurable sets. In this paper, we give an example showing that such an action need not be Borel relative to the given Borel structure, and prove that there is always a conull invariant subset and a new standard Borel structure on that subset for which the action is Borel. This is the meaning of the title. Supported by a University of Colorado Faculty Fellowship.     

Wijsman topology on function spaces

LetC(X,Y) be the space of continuous functions from a metric space (X,d) to a metric space (Y, e).C(X, Y) can be thought as subset of the hyperspaceCL(X×Y) of closed and nonempty subsets ofX×Y by identifying each element ofC(X,Y) with its graph. We considerC(X,Y) with the topology inherited from the Wijsman topology induced onCL(X×Y) by the box metric ofd ande. We study the relationships between the Wijsman topology and the compact-open topology onC(X,Y) and also conditions under which the Wijsman topology coincide with the Fell topology. Sufficient conditions under which the compactopen topology onC(X,Y) is weaker than the Wijsman topology are given (IfY is totally bounded, then for every metric spaceX the compactopen topology onC(X,Y) is weaker than the Wijsman topology and the same is true forX locally connected andY rim-totally bounded). We prove that a metric spaceX is boundedly compact iff the Wijsman topology onC(X, ℝ) is weaker than the compact-open topology. We show that ifX is a σ-compact complete metric space andY a compact metric space, then the Wijsman topology onC(X,Y) is Polish.     

A theorem of Riesz type with Pettis integrals in topological vector spaces

Let X be a locally convex Hausdorff space and let C₀(S,X) be the space of all continuous functions f:S→X, with compact support on the locally compact space S. In this paper we prove a Riesz representation theorem for a class of bounded operators T:C₀(S,X)→X, where the representing integrals are X-valued Pettis integrals with respect to bounded signed measures on S. Under the additional assumption that X is a locally convex space, having the convex compactness property, or either, X is a locally convex space whose dual X^′ is a barrelled space for an appropriate topology, we obtain a complete identification between all X-valued Pettis integrals on S and the bounded operators T:C₀(S,X)→X they represent. Finally we give two illustrations of the representation theorem proved, in the particular case when X is the topological dual of a locally convex space.     

Duality of Fourier type with respect to locally compact Abelian groups

It is shown that a Banach space X has Fourier type p with respect to a locally compact abelian group G if and only if the dual space X′ has Fourier type p with respect to G if and only if X has Fourier type p with respect to the dual group of G. This extends previously known results for the classical groups and the Cantor group to the setting of general locally compact abelian groups. Supported by DFG grant Hi 584/2-2. Partially supported by a DAAD-grant A/02/46571.     

On based-free actions of compact lie groups on the hilbert cube

It is proved that a based-free action α of a given compact Lie groupG on the Hilbert cubeQ is equivalent to the standard based-free action σ if and only if the orbit spaceQ ₀/α of the free partQ ₀=Q* is aQ-manifold having the proper homotopy type of the orbit spaceQ ₀/σ. The existence of an equivariant retraction (Q ₀, σ)→(Q ₀, α) is established. It is proved that for any TikhonovG-spaceX the family of all equivariant mapsX→ conG separates the points and the closed sets inX. Translated fromMatematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 65, No. 2, pp. 163–174, February, 1999.     

Entropy of Stationary Measures and Bounded Tangential de-Rham Cohomology of Semisimple Lie Group Actions

Let G be a connected noncompact semisimple Lie group with finite center, K a maximal compact subgroup, and X a compact manifold (or more generally, a Borel space) on which G acts. Assume that ν is a μ -stationary measure on X, where μ is an admissible measure on G, and that the G-action is essentially free. We consider the foliation of K\ X with Riemmanian leaves isometric to the symmetric space K\ G, and the associated tangential bounded de-Rham cohomology, which we show is an invariant of the action. We prove both vanishing and nonvanishing results for bounded tangential cohomology, whose range is dictated by the size of the maximal projective factor G/Q of (X, ν). We give examples showing that the results are often best possible. For the proofs we formulate a bounded tangential version of Stokes’ theorem, and establish a bounded tangential version of Poincaré’s Lemma. These results are made possible by the structure theory of semisimple Lie groups actions with stationary measure developed in Nevo and Zimmer [Ann of Math. 156, 565--594]. The structure theory assert, in particular, that the G-action is orbit equivalent to an action of a uniquely determined parabolic subgroup Q. The existence of Q allows us to establish Stokes’ and Poincaré’s Lemmas, and we show that it is the size of Q (determined by the entropy) which controls the bounded tangential cohomology. Supported by BSF and ISF. Supported by BSF and NSF.     

Classification of Ideals of Homeomorphism C*-Algebras and Quasidiagonality of Their Quotient Algebras

For the homeomorphism C*-algebra A(Σ) arising from a topological dynamical system Σ=(X,σ) where σ is a homeomorphism on an arbitrary compact Hausdorff space X, we first give detailed classification of its closed ideals into four classes. In case when X is a compact metric space, we then determine the conditions when the quotient algebras of A(Σ) become quasidiagonal. The case of A(Σ) itself was treated by M. Pimsner.     

Rigid geometric structures,isometric actions,and algebraic quotients

By using a Borel density theorem for algebraic quotients, we prove a theorem concerning isometric actions of a Lie group G on a smooth or analytic manifold M with a rigid A-structure σ. It generalizes Gromov’s centralizer and representation theorems to the case where R(G) is split solvable and G/R(G) has no compact factors, strengthens a special case of Gromov’s open dense orbit theorem, and implies that for smooth M and simple G, if Gromov’s representation theorem does not hold, then the local Killing fields on [(M)\tilde]{\widetilde{M}} are highly non-extendable. As applications of the generalized centralizer and representation theorems, we prove (1) a structural property of Iso(M) for simply connected compact analytic M with unimodular σ, (2) three results illustrating the phenomenon that if G is split solvable and large then π ₁(M) is also large, and (3) two fixed point theorems for split solvable G and compact analytic M with non-unimodular σ.     

The Levi problem on strongly pseudoconvex G-bundles

Let G be a unimodular Lie group, X a compact manifold with boundary, and M the total space of a principal bundle G → M → X so that M is also a strongly pseudoconvex complex manifold. In this study, we show that if G acts by holomorphic transformations satisfying a local property, then the space of square-integrable holomorphic functions on M is infinite-dimensional.     

Invariant pseudometrics on Palais proper G-spaces

Let G be a locally compact Hausdorff group. It is proved that: 1. on each Palais proper G-space X there exists a compatible family of G-invariant pseudometrics; 2.the existence of a compatible G-invariant metric on a metrizable proper G-space X is equivalent to the paracompactness of the orbit space X/G; 3. if in addition G is either almost connected or separable, and X is locally separable, then there exists a compatible G-invariant metric on X. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The convolution equation of Choquet and Deny on [IN]-groups

Let be a probability measure on a locally compact groupG. A real Borel functionf onG is called -harmonic if it satisfies the convolution equation *f=f. Given that isnonsingular with its translates, we show that the bounded -harmonic functions are constant on a class of groups including the almost connected [IN]-groups. If is nondegenerate and absolutely continuous, we solve the more general equation *= for positive measure on those groups which are metrizable and separable.Supported by Hong Kong RGC Earmarked Grant and CUHK Direct Grant