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.     

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.     

Finite group actions on AF algebras obtained by folding the interval

For any finite groupG we construct examples of an AF algebraA and an action byG onA such that the fixed point algebra is not AF. The construction ofA is done by successive foldings and cuttings of the interval in a way originally suggested by Blackadar and, in a different context, by Connes in his talk in Oslo in 1978.     

CertainC*-algebras with real rank zero and their corona and multiplier algebras: II

We first determine the homotopy classes of nontrivial projections in a purely infinite simpleC*-algebraA, in the associated multiplier algebraM(A) and the corona algebraM A/A in terms ofK _*(A). Then we describe the generalized Fredholm indices as the group of homotopy classes of non-trivial projections ofA; consequently, we determine theK _*-groups of all hereditaryC*-subalgebras of certain corona algebras. Secondly, we consider a group structure of *-isomorphism classes of hereditaryC*-subalgebras of purely infinite simpleC*-algebras. In addition, we prove that ifA is aC*-algebra of real rank zero, then each unitary ofA, in caseA it unital, each unitary ofM(A) and ofM(A)/A, in caseA is nonunital but -unital, can be factored into a product of a unitary homotopic to the identity and a unitary matrix whose entries are all partial isometries (with respect to a decomposition of the identity).Partially supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.     

Gromov's translation algebras, growth and amenability of operator algebras

Translation algebras of finitely generated *-algebras of bounded linear operators on a separable Hilbert space are introduced. Two equivalent forms of amenability for finitely generated *-algebras in terms of the existence of Følner sequences are introduced. These are related to the existence of traces on the associated translation algebra and, in the context of C^*-algebras, are related to weak-filterability and to the existence of hypertraces.     

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.     

KK-groups for generalized operator algebras. I

Kasparov's bivariant K-theory is extended to inverse limits of C ^*-algebras. It is shown how to define the intersection product for algebras satisfying a separability condition and the properties of the product are explained. The Bott periodicity theorem is proved.     

The Proof of Inseparable Prime AW^＊—Algebras Being Primitive C^＊—Algebras

The relation between the inseparable prime C^*-algebras and primitive C^*-algebras is studied,and we prove that prime AW^*-algebras are all primitive C^*-algebras.     

Complete positivity,tensor products and C*-nuclearity for inverse limits of C*-algebras

The paper aims at developing a theory of nuclear (in the topological algebraic sense) pro-C^*-algebras (which are inverse limits of C^*-algebras) by investigating completely positive maps and tensor products. By using the structure of matrix algebras over a pro-C^*-algebra, it is shown that a unital continuous linear map between pro-C^*-algebrasA andB is completely positive iff by restriction, it defines a completely positive map between the C^*-algebrasb(A) andb(B) consisting of all bounded elements ofA andB. In the metrizable case,A andB are homeomorphically isomorphic iff they are matricially order isomorphic. The injective pro-C^*-topology α and the projective pro-C^*-topology v on A⊗B are shown to be minimal and maximal pro-C^*-topologies; and α coincides with the topology of biequicontinous convergence iff eitherA orB is abelian. A nuclear pro-C^*-algebraA is one that satisfies, for any pro-C^*-algebra (or a C^*-algebra)B, any of the equivalent requirements; (i) α =v onA ⊗B (ii)A is inverse limit of nuclear C^*-algebras (iii) there is only one admissible pro-C^*-topologyon A⊗B (iv) the bounded partb(A) ofA is a nuclear C⊗-algebra (v) any continuous complete state map A→B^* can be approximated in simple weak^* convergence by certain finite rank complete state maps. This is used to investigate permanence properties of nuclear pro-C^*-algebras pertaining to subalgebras, quotients and projective and inductive limits. A nuclearity criterion for multiplier algebras (in particular, the multiplier algebra of Pedersen ideal of a C^*-algebra) is developed and the connection of this C^*-algebraic nuclearity with Grothendieck’s linear topological nuclearity is examined. A σ-C^*-algebraA is a nuclear space iff it is an inverse limit of finite dimensional C^*-algebras; and if abelian, thenA is isomorphic to the algebra (pointwise operations) of all scalar sequences.     

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.     

A new look at KK-theory

We describe the Kasparov group KK(A, B) as the set of homotopy classes of homomorphisms from an algebra qA associated with A into K B. The algebra qA consists of K-theory differential forms over A. Its construction is dual to that of M ₂(A). The analysis of qA and of its interplay with M ₂(A) gives the basic results of KK-theory.Partially supported by NSF.     

K-theory of reduced C*-algebras and rapidly decreasing functions on groups

We associate to any length function L on a group a space of rapidly decreasing functions on (in the l ² sense), denoted by H _L (). When H _L () is contained in the reduced C*-algebra C _r ^* () of (), then it is a dense *-subalgebra of C _r ^* () and we prove a theorem of A. Connes which asserts that under this hypothesis H _L () has the same K-theory as C _r ^* (). We introduce another space of rapidly decreasing functions on (in the l ¹ sense), denoted by H _L ^1, (), which is always a dense *-subalgebra of the Banach algebra l ¹(), and we show that H _L ^1, () has the same K-theory as l ¹().     

KK-groups for generalized operator algebras. II

The extension of Kasparovs bivariant K-theory to inverse limits of C ^* -algebras admits exact Puppe sequences in both variables. Two exact sequences generalizing Milnor's lim-lim¹ sequences are established. For CW complexes the extended K-theory is representable K-theory.     

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.     

Extension algebras of Cuntz algebra

In this paper, we construct representatives for all equivalence classes of the unital essential extension algebras of Cuntz algebra by the C^*-algebras of compact operators on a separable infinite-dimensional Hilbert space. We also compute their K-groups and semigroups and classify these extension algebras up to isomorphism by their semigroups.     

The Connes-Higson construction is an isomorphism

Let A be a separable C∗-algebra and B a stable C∗-algebra containing a strictly positive element. We show that the group Ext^−1/2(SA,B) of unitary equivalence classes of extensions of SA by B, modulo the extensions which are asymptotically split, coincides with the group of homotopy classes of such extensions. This is done by proving that the Connes-Higson construction gives rise to an isomorphism between Ext^−1/2(SA,B) and the E-theory group E(A,B) of homotopy classes of asymptotic homomorphisms from S²A to B.     

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.     

Operator space tensor products of <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis>*-algebras

For C*-algebras A and B, the identity map from into A _λ B is shown to be injective. Next, we deduce that the center of the completion of the tensor product A⊗B of two C*-algebras A and B with centers Z(A) and Z(B) under operator space projective norm is equal to . A characterization of isometric automorphisms of and A _h B is also obtained. Dedicated to Ajit Iqbal Singh on her 65th birthday.