The type of group measure space von Neumann algebras

LetG be a countable discrete group acting by measure-preserving automorphisms of a finite measure space (M, ) and let (G,M) be the corresponding group measure space von Neumann algebra, which will be a finite von Neumann algebra. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for (G,M) to have a non-zero type I part, and the projection on the type I part is explicitly described.This research was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant MCS 74-19876.