The local index formula in semifinite Von Neumann algebras I: Spectral flow

We generalise the local index formula of Connes and Moscovici to the case of spectral triples for a *-subalgebra A of a general semifinite von Neumann algebra. In this setting it gives a formula for spectral flow along a path joining an unbounded self-adjoint Breuer-Fredholm operator, affiliated to the von Neumann algebra, to a unitarily equivalent operator. Our proof is novel even in the setting of the original theorem and relies on the introduction of a function valued cocycle which is ‘almost’ a (b,B)-cocycle in the cyclic cohomology of A.     

The Hochschild class of the Chern character for semifinite spectral triples

We provide a proof of Connes’ formula for a representative of the Hochschild class of the Chern character for (p,∞)-summable spectral triples. Our proof is valid for all semifinite von Neumann algebras, and all integral p?1. We employ the minimum possible hypotheses on the spectral triples.     

Spectral flow and Dixmier traces

We obtain general theorems which enable the calculation of the Dixmier trace in terms of the asymptotics of the zeta function and of the heat operator in a general semi-finite von Neumann algebra. Our results have several applications. We deduce a formula for the Chern character of an odd -summable Breuer-Fredholm module in terms of a Hochschild 1-cycle. We explain how to derive a Wodzicki residue for pseudo-differential operators along the orbits of an ergodic action on a compact space X. Finally, we give a short proof of an index theorem of Lesch for generalised Toeplitz operators.     

Orbifold index cobordism invariance

We prove cobordism index invariance for pseudo-differential elliptic operators on closed orbifolds with K-theoretical methods.     

Topological and bornological characterisations of ideals in von Neumann algebras: II

SupposeM is a von Neumann algebra on a Hilbert spaceH andI is any norm closed ideal inM. We extend to this setting the well known fact that the compact operators on a Hilbert space are precisely those whose restrictions to the closed unit ball are weak to norm continuous.     

HNN extensions of von Neumann algebras

Reduced HNN extensions of von Neumann algebras (as well as C^*-algebras) will be introduced, and their modular theory, factoriality and ultraproducts will be discussed. In several concrete settings, detailed analysis on them will be also carried out.     

Topological and bornological characterisations of ideals in von Neumann algebras: I

Suppose is a von Neumann algebra on a Hilbert space and is any ideal in . We determine a topology on , for which the members of that are to norm continuous are exactly those in ; and a bornology on such that the elements of which map the unit ball to an element of , equivalently those members of that are norm to bounded, are exactly those in . This is achieved via analogues of the notions of injectivity and surjectivity in the theory of operator ideals on Banach spaces.     

K-theory and exact sequences of partial translation algebras

In an earlier paper, the authors introduced partial translation algebras as a generalisation of group C^?${\mathrm{C}}^{?}$-algebras. Here we establish an extension of partial translation algebras, which may be viewed as an excision theorem in this context. We apply this general framework to compute the K-theory of partial translation algebras and group C^?${\mathrm{C}}^{?}$-algebras in the context of almost invariant subspaces of discrete groups. This generalises the work of Cuntz, Lance, Pimsner and Voiculescu. In particular we provide a new perspective on Pimsner's calculation of the K-theory for a graph product of groups.     

Isometries between projection lattices of von Neumann algebras

We investigate surjective isometries between projection lattices of two von Neumann algebras. We show that such a mapping is characterized by means of Jordan ^?-isomorphisms. In particular, we prove that two von Neumann algebras without type ${\mathrm{I}}_1$ direct summands are Jordan ^?-isomorphic if and only if their projection lattices are isometric. Our theorem extends the recent result for type I factors by G.P. Gehér and P. ?emrl, which is a generalization of Wigner's theorem.     

Factoriality, type classification and fullness for free product von Neumann algebras

We give a complete answer to the questions of factoriality, type classification and fullness for arbitrary free product von Neumann algebras.     

Bimodules in crossed products of von Neumann algebras

In this paper, we study bimodules over a von Neumann algebra M   in the context of an inclusion M⊆M_?αG$M\subseteq M{?}_{\alpha }G$, where G is a discrete group acting on a factor M by outer ?-automorphisms. We characterize the M  -bimodules X⊆M_?αG$X\subseteq M{?}_{\alpha }G$ that are closed in the Bures topology in terms of the subsets of G  . We show that this characterization also holds for w^?$w^{?}$-closed bimodules when G has the approximation property (AP  ), a class of groups that includes all amenable and weakly amenable ones. As an application, we prove a version of Mercer's extension theorem for certain w^?$w^{?}$-continuous surjective isometric maps on X.     

The eta invariant and parity conditions

We give a formula for the η-invariant of odd-order operators on even-dimensional manifolds and even-order operators on odd-dimensional manifolds. Second-order operators with nontrivial η-invariants are found. This solves a problem posed by Gilkey.     

Order-unit quantum Gromov-Hausdorff distance

We introduce a new distance dist_oq between compact quantum metric spaces. We show that dist_oq is Lipschitz equivalent to Rieffel's distance dist_q, and give criteria for when a parameterized family of compact quantum metric spaces is continuous with respect to dist_oq. As applications, we show that the continuity of a parameterized family of quantum metric spaces induced by ergodic actions of a fixed compact group is determined by the multiplicities of the actions, generalizing Rieffel's work on noncommutative tori and integral coadjoint orbits of semisimple compact connected Lie groups; we also show that the θ-deformations of Connes and Landi are continuous in the parameter θ.     

Some model-theoretic correspondences between dimension groups and AF algebras

If A⊆B are structures for a first-order language S, A is said to be algebraically (existentially) closed in B just in case every positive existential (existential) S_A-sentence true in B_A is true in A_A. In 1976 Elliott showed that unital AF (‘approximately finite-dimensional’) algebras are classified up to isomorphism by corresponding dimension groups with order unit. This paper shows that one dimension group with order unit is algebraically (existentially) closed in another just in case the corresponding AF algebras, viewed as metric structures, fall in the same relation.     

Amenability and co-amenability of algebraic quantum groups II

We continue our study of the concepts of amenability and co-amenability for algebraic quantum groups in the sense of A. Van Daele and our investigation of their relationship with nuclearity and injectivity. One major tool for our analysis is that every non-degenerate ∗-representation of the universal -algebra associated to an algebraic quantum group has a unitary generator which may be described in a concrete way.     

The Krein Spectral Shift Function in Semifinite von Neumann Algebras

We show the existence of a spectral shift function in the sense of Krein for bounded trace class perturbations of a self-adjoint operator affiliated with a semifinite von Neumann algebra     

An extended Cheeger-Müller theorem for covering spaces

We generalize a theorem of Bismut-Zhang, which extends the Cheeger-Müller theorem on Ray-Singer torsion and Reidemeister torsion, to the case of infinite Galois covering spaces. Our result is stated in the framework of extended cohomology, and generalizes in this case a recent result of Braverman-Carey-Farber-Mathai. It does not use the determinant class condition and thus also (potentially) generalizes several results on L²-torsions due to Burghelea, Friedlander, Kappeler and McDonald. We combine the framework developed by Braverman-Carey-Farber-Mathai on the determinant of extended cohomology with the heat kernel method developed in the original paper of Bismut-Zhang to prove our result.     

Dirac operators and spectral triples for some fractal sets built on curves

We construct spectral triples and, in particular, Dirac operators, for the algebra of continuous functions on certain compact metric spaces. The triples are countable sums of triples where each summand is based on a curve in the space. Several fractals, like a finitely summable infinite tree and the Sierpinski gasket, fit naturally within our framework. In these cases, we show that our spectral triples do describe the geodesic distance and the Minkowski dimension as well as, more generally, the complex fractal dimensions of the space. Furthermore, in the case of the Sierpinski gasket, the associated Dixmier-type trace coincides with the normalized Hausdorff measure of dimension log3/log2.     

Stable ranks of split extensions of Banach algebras

In this paper, we estimate the stable ranks of a Banach algebra in terms of the stable ranks of its quotient algebra and ideal under the assumption that the quotient map splits. As an application, several results about the Bass and the connected stable ranks of nest algebras are obtained.