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15 votes
4 answers
3k views

Universal $C^*$-algebra with generators and relations

We say that the $C^*$-algebra $A$ generated by $a_1,...,a_n$ is universal subject to relations $R_1,...,R_m$ if for every $C^*$-algebra $B$ with elements $b_1,...,b_n$ satisfying relations $R_1,...,...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330
24 votes
2 answers
1k views

Does left-invertible imply invertible in full group C*-algebras (discrete case)?

The following question/problem has been bugging me on and off for some time now: so I thought it might be worth broaching here on MO, as a case of "ask the experts". Let $G$ be a discrete group. ...
Yemon Choi's user avatar
  • 25.8k
18 votes
7 answers
4k views

What are known examples of positive but not completely positive maps?

The only example I know of a positive map which is not completely positive is the transpose map on $M_n(\mathbb{C})$. Of course, one can come up with minor perturbations of this (compose it with, or ...
Dave Gaebler's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
635 views

Quasinilpotent elements of group C-star algebras

If $G$ is a discrete torsion-free group, can its (reduced or full) group C-star algebra contain non-zero quasinilpotent elements? I've seen various examples in the group von Neumann algebra setting (...
Yemon Choi's user avatar
  • 25.8k
10 votes
1 answer
492 views

Which W*-algebras are the duals of C*-coalgebras?

A Banach algebra (assumed associative and unital) is precisely a monoid object in the monoidal category of Banach spaces, short linear maps, and the projective tensor product. A Banach coalgebra is ...
Toby Bartels's user avatar
  • 2,754
8 votes
2 answers
961 views

The monotone closure of a $C^*$-algebra

Related to Jon's question, I have two questions. Let $\mathcal{A}$ be a concrete $C^*$-algebra on a Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$. For any selfadjoint subset $S$ of $\mathbb{B}(\mathcal{H})$, let $S^m$ ...
Masayoshi Kaneda's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
680 views

Is there an operator algebraic reformulation of the invariant subspace problem?

Let $H$ be an infinite dimensional separable Hilbert space and $B(H)$ the algebra of bounded operators. Invariant subspace problem: Let $T \in B(H)$. Is there a non-trivial closed $T$-invariant ...
Sebastien Palcoux's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
338 views

Quantization of $S^2$ as $C^*$-algebra?

The general context for the question - is belief that quantization of compact symplectic manifolds can be endowed with the structure of $C^*$-algebra (see MO230695). The particular question is about ...
Alexander Chervov's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
414 views

A question on an argument in Woronowicz’s paper on the compact quantum group $ {\text{SU}_{q}}(2) $

Let $ q \in [0,1) $. The compact quantum group $ {\text{SU}_{q}}(2) $ is defined to be the universal unital $ C^{*} $-algebra that is generated by two elements $ \alpha $ and $ \beta $ satisfying the ...
Transcendental's user avatar
27 votes
0 answers
1k views

Unital $C^{*}$ algebras whose all elements have path connected spectrum

A unital $C^{*}$ algebra is called a "Path connected algebra" if the spectrum of all its elements is a path connected subset of $\mathbb{C}$. What is an example of a non commutative ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
25 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can nuclearity be determined by tensoring with a single C*-algebra?

A C*-algebra is nuclear if the algebraic tensor product $A\odot B$ ($B$ is any other C*-algebra) admits a unique C*-norm. This definition requires testing the condition for nuclearity with `all' C*-...
Lech Roch's user avatar
  • 505
20 votes
2 answers
870 views

C$^*$-algebras isomorphic after tensoring with $M_n(\mathbb C)$

In 1977, Joan Plastiras gave a striking example of two non $*$-isomorphic C$^*$-algebras $\mathcal A$ and $\mathcal B$ such that $$\mathcal A \otimes M_2(\mathbb C) \simeq \mathcal B\otimes M_2(\...
Chris Ramsey's user avatar
  • 3,984
17 votes
2 answers
2k views

The letters of the word "ART"

Edit: According to the Gelfand duality between topological spaces and commutative $C^{*}$algebras, I add some new tags. So the question is that what is the structure of $ Ext (A,A)$ where $A$ is $...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
16 votes
4 answers
1k views

Von Neumann algebra associated to the infinite Cuntz algebra

The Cuntz algebra $\mathcal{O}_{\infty}$ is the universal $C^*$-algebra generated by countably infinitely many isometries $s_i$ satisfying the relations $s_i^*s_j = \delta_{ij}$ (there is no condition ...
Ulrich Pennig's user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
2k views

Non-commutative duality I: Which C*-algebras are (isomorphic to a) convolution algebra?

Many interesting C*-algebras can be realized as convolution algebras over a groupoid, an idea introduced in 1980 by Jean Renault (this entry in nLab provides plenty of context to the general approach ...
Mirco A. Mannucci's user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
2k views

Is the group von Neumann algebra construction functorial?

Let $G$ be a group and $CG$ the complex group algebra over the field $C$ of complex number. The group von Neumann algebra $NG$ is the completion of $CG$ wrt weak operator norm in $B(l^2(G))$, the set ...
yeshengkui's user avatar
  • 1,373
15 votes
2 answers
2k views

Range of completely positive projection

Let $A$ be a C*-algebra. Suppose that $P:A \rightarrow A$ is a contractive completely positive projection. Does the range $P(A)$ is completely order isomorphic to a $C^*$-algebra? In the case where ...
BigBill's user avatar
  • 1,222
13 votes
2 answers
775 views

Properties of orthogonality-preserving c.p. maps between $C^*$-algebras

Suppose that $A,C$ are $C^*$-algebras and $\phi:A \to C$ is a completely positive, orthogonality-preserving linear map. (Orthogonality preserving means: if $a,b \in A$ satisfy $ab=0$ then $\phi(a)\phi(...
Aaron Tikuisis's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
806 views

Inner and extendible automorphisms of C*-algebras

If an automorphism $\alpha$ of a C*-algebra $A$ is inner then whenever $A$ is a subalgebra of another C*-algebra $B$, $\alpha$ obviously extends to $B$. Is the converse true: if an automorphism $\...
Aaron Tikuisis's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
451 views

Factor states on C*-algebras

Which C$^*$-algebras admit factor states for which the von Neumann algebra it generates in the corresponding GNS representation is a type III$_1$ factor? For example, do all purely infinite algebras ...
Isaac's user avatar
  • 771
12 votes
1 answer
607 views

Almost idempotent approximate units in C*-algebras

As in Blackadar's "Operator Algebras" Definition II.4.1.1., call an approximate unit $(a_\lambda)$ in the positive unit ball of a C*-algebra almost idempotent if $a_\lambda a_\gamma=a_\lambda$ ...
Tristan Bice's user avatar
  • 1,307
12 votes
1 answer
901 views

Is there a proof that the $C^{*}$-algebras don't see the invariant subspace problem?

This post is an appendix of this one. Let $H$ be an infinite dimensional separable Hilbert space and $B(H)$ the algebra of bounded operators. Invariant subspace problem: Let $T \in B(H)$. Is ...
Sebastien Palcoux's user avatar
10 votes
0 answers
397 views

Is $\mathcal{B}(\mathcal{H})$ a groupoid $C^*$-algebra?

Let $\mathcal{H}$ be a complex Hilbert space, and $\mathcal{B}(\mathcal{H})$ be the $C^{\ast}$-algebra of bounded operators on $\mathcal{H}$. Is there an étale groupoid $\mathcal{G}$ such that its $C^{...
Luiz Felipe Garcia's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

When are certain group C*-algebras exact?

This is somewhere between a "reference request" and "ask an expert", but I hope it is not too trivial or off-topic. Anyway. There has been a lot of attention given to showing that for certain ...
Yemon Choi's user avatar
  • 25.8k
10 votes
1 answer
533 views

Who first identified the universal $C^*$-algebra generated by an idempotent of norm at most $C$?

So much is known about hermitian and non-hermitian idempotents in a $C^*$-algebra, that someone must have written down the following. Theorem The universal $C^*$-algebra generated by one element $x$...
Terry Loring's user avatar
  • 1,749
9 votes
1 answer
596 views

Why is the Berkovich spectrum of a C*-Algebra the same as the Gelfand spectrum?

Let $A = \mathcal{C}(X)$ be a commutative (unital) C*-Algebra. Let $Spec(A)$ denote its Gelfand spectrum $$ Spec(A) = \{A \rightarrow \mathbb{C} : \text{non-zero *-homomorphism} \} \simeq X. $$ Now ...
Niki's user avatar
  • 335
9 votes
0 answers
268 views

Existence/characterization/properties of $C^*$-algebras which "are" quantization of compact symplectic manifolds?

Understanding of "quantization" achieved much progress recent years, especially after Kontsevich breakthrough on deformation quantization, where he proved one-to-one correspondence between Poisson ...
Alexander Chervov's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
338 views

Commuting nets for commuting projections

I think this should not be too difficult, but I am not an expert. I did not get an answer on stackexchange. Let $A$ be a $C$*-algebra and let $p,q\in A^{**}$ be two commuting projections. Then there ...
Mark Roelands's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
389 views

Order bounded version of monotone complete $C^*$-algebras

Let $A$ be a $C^*$-algebra with self-adjoint part $A_{\operatorname{sa}}$. Then $A$ is called monotone complete if every increasing norm bounded net in $A_{\operatorname{sa}}$ has a supremum (with ...
Jochen Glueck's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
429 views

Open projections and Murray-von Neumann equivalence

Let $\mathcal{A}$ be a $C^*$-algebra and $p\in\mathcal{A}^{**}$ be an open projection, that is, $p=p^*=p^2$ and $p\in\overline{(p\mathcal{A}^{**}p\cap\hat{\mathcal{A}})}^{\operatorname{w}^*}$, where $\...
Masayoshi Kaneda's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
219 views

$*$-algebras, completions, and $K$-theory

What is an example of a $*$-algebra $\cal{A}$, which admits two non-equivalent norms $\| \cdot \|_1$ and $\| \cdot \|_2$, with respect to which we can complete $\cal{A}$ to give two $C^*$-algebras $...
Max Schattman's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
555 views

maximal tensor product commutes with inductive limits

Let $(A_n, \phi_n)$ be an inductive system of $C^*$ algebras and let $B$ be an arbitary $C^*$ algebra. I want to prove $(\varinjlim A_n)\otimes_{max} B \cong \varinjlim (A_n \otimes_{max} B)$. This ...
Sabrina Gemsa's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
701 views

A Question About Pure States, Support Projections and Central Covers

I am trying to study the paper Consistency of a Counterexample to Naimark’s Problem by Charles Akemann and Nik Weaver, and there is a claim in Lemma 1 of the paper that I am stuck at, which is as ...
user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
168 views

Characterizing fullness of a von Neumann algebra by the topology of its bimodules

Let $\mathcal{M}$ be a $\mathrm{II}_1$ factor. Among other characterizations, it is said to be full iff the adjoint map: $$ \mathrm{Ad}: U(\mathcal{M})/\mathbb{T} \longrightarrow \mathrm{Aut}(\...
Adrián González Pérez's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
322 views

Pairwise orthogonality for partitions of unity in a *-algebra

Let $\mathcal{A}$ be a $*$-algebra with unit $1_{\mathcal{A}}$. As in the $\mathrm{C}^*$-setting, a projection is an element $p\in\mathcal{A}$ such that $p=p^2=p^*$. A partition of unity is a finite ...
JP McCarthy's user avatar
  • 1,027
6 votes
1 answer
446 views

A Question About the Elliott-Natsume-Nest Proof of Bott Periodicity

In Wegge-Olsen’s book K-Theory and C$ ^{*} $-Algebras, there is an outline of a proof of Bott Periodicity (the proof is due to George Elliott, Toshikazu Natsume and Ryszard Nest). The first step of ...
user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
150 views

Examples of non-isomorphic $C^\ast$ algebras with isomorphic quasi-state spaces

Let $A$ (resp. $B$) be a unital $C^\ast$-algebra, $\mathcal{Q}(A)$ (resp. $\mathcal{Q}(B)$) the compact convex subset of $A^\ast$ equipped with the $\sigma(A^\ast, A)$ (resp. $\sigma(B^\ast, B)$) ...
Rick Sternbach's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
711 views

maximal tensor product of simple $C^*$algebras is non-simple

Let $A$ and $B$ simple $C^*$-algebras. One can prove that the minimal tensor product $A\otimes _{min}B$ is simple. This is wrong for the maximal tensor product $A\otimes_{max}B$ . 1.Do you know an ...
Sabrina Gemsa's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
945 views

Multiplier algebra of $A \otimes \mathcal{K}$

If $A$ is unital C$^*$-algebra, is it true that the multiplier algebra of $A \otimes \mathcal{K} $ is $ A \otimes \mathcal{B}(\mathcal{H})$? Where $\mathcal{K}$ is C$^*$-algebra of compact operators ...
samm's user avatar
  • 103
6 votes
2 answers
556 views

Endomorphisms of the Cuntz algebra

Consider the Cuntz algebra $\mathcal{O}_n$ with $n \geq 2$ and let $\text{End}(\mathcal{O}_n)$ be the set of all (unital) $\ast$-endomorphisms of $\mathcal{O}_n$. I was wondering if there exists an ...
worldreporter's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
283 views

Reference request quantum SU(3)

Woronowicz shows that the C*-algebras of quantum $SU(2)$ are isomorphic (only as C*-algebras, forgetting the quantum group structure). Are there similar results for quantum $SU(n)$ for $n \geq 3$?
Clipper Gomberg's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
307 views

Can an AW*-algebra be recovered from its lattice of projections?

Can an AW*-algebra be recovered (up to Jordan isomorphism) from its lattice of projections? This is possible in the commutative/Boolean case.
Cameron Zwarich's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
237 views

Characterization of exact groups via the existence of amenable actions on unital C*-algebras, part 2

In this recent MOF question I asked whether exact groups could be characterized via the existence of amenable actions on unital C*-algebras. The answer, provided by Caleb Eckhardt in a comment, was ...
Ruy's user avatar
  • 2,263
5 votes
2 answers
988 views

Projections in a W*-algebra as a continuous lattice?

A continuous lattice is a complete lattice $L$ in which every element $y$ is equal to $\bigvee${$x \in L \mid x \ll y$} where $x \ll y$ ("x approximates y" or "x is way below y") if for any directed ...
Rennela's user avatar
  • 85
5 votes
1 answer
303 views

$Z_{2}$- graded structures for $C_{red} ^{*} (F_{2})$

Let $F_{2}$ be the free group with two generators. Then $F_{2}=\{\text{odd words}\}\sqcup\{\text{even words}\}$. This gives us a $Z_{2}$ graded structure for $C^{*}_{red} (F_{2})$, in a natural way. ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
220 views

Pushout of $C^*$-algebras using generalised morphisms

There is a known construction of pushout of $C^*$-algebras, or rather, the amalgamated free product, which is universal for commutative squares of $*$-homomorphisms. Jensen and Thomsen in their book ...
David Roberts's user avatar
  • 35.4k
4 votes
1 answer
275 views

What are the norms of the generators of the standard Podleś sphere?

Fix a real number $0<q<1$. We consider the standard Podles sphere $A_q$ as the universal unit $C^*$-algebra generated by $a$ and $b$ with relations \begin{equation*} \begin{split} &a=a^*,~ ...
Zhaoting Wei's user avatar
  • 9,009
4 votes
1 answer
341 views

On differential equation $Z'=Z^2-Z$ on a $C^*$ algebra

Let $A$ be a Banach or a $C^*$ algebra. We consider the differential equation $$(*)\;\;\;\;Z'=Z^2-Z$$ on $A$. Obviously the singularities of this systems are just the idempotents of the ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
207 views

Extending Akemann's Non-Commutative Urysohn Lemma

Assume $A$ is a C*-algebra and $p,q\in A^{**}$ are compact projections. Can we always find $a,b\in A^1_+$ with $p\leq a$, $q\leq b$ and $||pq||=||ab||$? Note if $||pq||=1$ this is immediate, while ...
Tristan Bice's user avatar
  • 1,307
4 votes
1 answer
312 views

A question on $Z^{*}$ algebras

A $Z^{*}$ algebra is a $C^{*}$ algebra which satisfies each of the following equivalent conditions: All elements of $A$ are left zero divisor. All elements are right zero divisor. All elements are ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar