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.     

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.     

Approximately unitarily equivalent morphisms and inductive limitC*-algebras

It is shown that two unital *-homomorphisms from a commutativeC*-algebraC(X) to a unitalC*-algebraB are stably approximately unitarily equivalent if and only if they have the same class in the quotient of the Kasparov groupKK(C(X),B) by the closure of zero. A suitable generalization of this result is used to prove a classification result for certain inductive limitC*-algebrasThis research was partially supported by NSF grant DMS-9303361     

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.     

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.     

Problem of invariant subspaces in <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis>*-algebras

Let A be a separable simple C*-algebra. For each ;) on A such that π(a) has a non-trivial invariant subspace in Hπ.     

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.     

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.     

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().     

Hopf C*-Algebras

In this paper we define and study Hopf C^*-algebras. Roughlyspeaking, a Hopf C^*-algebra is a C^*-algebra A with a comultiplication: A M(A A) such that the maps a b (a)(1 b) and a (a 1)(b)have their range in A A and are injective after being extendedto a larger natural domain, the Haagerup tensor product A _hA. In a purely algebraic setting, these conditions on are closelyrelated to the existence of a counit and antipode. In this topologicalcontext, things turn out to be much more subtle, but neverthelessone can show the existence of a suitable counit and antipodeunder these conditions. The basic example is the C^*-algebra C₀(G) of continuous complexfunctions tending to zero at infinity on a locally compact groupwhere the comultiplication is obtained by dualizing the groupmultiplication. But also the reduced group C^*-algebra of a locally compact group with thewell-known comultiplication falls in this category. In factall locally compact quantum groups in the sense of Kustermansand the first author (such as the compact and discrete ones)as well as most of the known examples are included. This theory differs from other similar approaches in that thereis no Haar measure assumed. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 46L65, 46L07, 46L89.