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4 votes
2 answers
452 views

Is every bounded representation of Z unitarisable when all sets are measurable?

For the purpose of this question, a group is amenable iff there exists a Følner sequence. Dixmier unitarisability problem asks whether a (countable discrete) group G is amenable iff every bounded ...
7 votes
0 answers
193 views

Reduced group C*-algebra $C^*_r(\mathbb{Z}/2*\mathbb{Z}/2)$: norm of specific elements

Consider the free product of $\mathbb{Z}/2$ with itself with generators $$ \mathbb{Z}/2*\mathbb{Z}/2=\langle u,v\mid u^2=1=v^2\rangle $$ and regard its group $C^*$-algebra $$ C^*(\mathbb{Z}/2*\mathbb{...
4 votes
1 answer
204 views

Making Hermitian matrices almost commute

Consider two Hermitian matrices $A, B \in \mathbb{C}^{n \times n}$. I'm interested in finding another Hermitian matrix $A'$ that is close to $A$ and almost commutes with $B$. More precisely, I'd like ...
5 votes
0 answers
211 views

Weaker analogues of amenability for groups of piecewise projective homeomorphisms

Let $A$ be a subring of ${\bf R}$ and let $H(A)$ be the group defined/constructed in Monod's 2013 PNAS paper. Monod showed that provided $A\neq {\bf Z}$, $H(A)$ is non-amenable. (The proof breaks down ...
8 votes
0 answers
189 views

Bi-exact groups and amenable actions on their compactifications

As defined in C$^∗$-algebras and finite-dimensional approximations by Brown and Ozawa, a discrete countable group $\Gamma$ is bi-exact if its action on $C(\Delta\Gamma):=C(\bar\Gamma)/c_0(\Gamma)$ is ...
23 votes
4 answers
2k views

Are almost commuting hermitian matrices close to commuting matrices (in the 2-norm)?

I consider on $M_n(\mathbb C)$ the normalized $2$-norm, i.e. the norm given by $\|A\|_2 = \sqrt{\mathrm{Tr}(A^* A)/n}$. My question is whether a $k$-uple of hermitian matrices that are almost ...
3 votes
1 answer
388 views

Fundamental group and group measure space construction

Let $N$ be a type ${\rm II}$ factor, with trace $\tau$. Consider its fundamental group$$ \mathcal{F}(N)= \{ \tau(p)/\tau(q) \ | \ p,q \text{ non-zero finite projections in } N \text{ and } pNp \simeq ...
5 votes
1 answer
306 views

Cartan subalgebra and group measure space construction

Let $N$ be a ${\rm II}_1$ factor. A maximal abelian self-adjoint subalgebra (MASA) is a $*$-subalgebra $A \subset N$ such that $A' \cap N = A$. It is called a Cartan subalgebra if moreover $\mathcal{N}...
2 votes
1 answer
246 views

Does this sequence contain a nonnegative number?

Let $G$ be a (discrete) torsion free group with identity $e$. Recall that for an element $\alpha=\sum a_gg$ in $\mathbb C[G]$ (complex functions on $G$ with compact support), $\alpha^*$ is defined to ...
2 votes
2 answers
178 views

Point spectrum of a positive invertible operator

Let $G$ be a l.c. group and $f$ belong to $C_c(G)$, the space of continuous functions with compact support. Define an operator$T_f$ on $L^2(G)$ by $T_f(g)=f*g$ (the convolution product). If $T_f$ is ...
12 votes
0 answers
373 views

Does Thompson's group $V$ have property AP?

Property AP: A discrete group $\Gamma$ has property AP (Approximation Property) if there exists a net $(\phi_i)_{i \in I}$ of finitely supported functions on $\Gamma$ such that $\phi_i \to 1 $ weak$^*$...
0 votes
1 answer
328 views

Find the trace for some elements in group algebra

Let $K=\langle b,c,d\mid b^{2}=c^{2}=d^{2}=bcd=1\rangle $. Now we consider $$D=K*\mathbb Z/2\mathbb Z=\left\{a,b,c,d\mid a^{2}=b^{2}=c^{2}=d^{2}=bcd=1\right\}$$ where $*$ is the free product. Then we ...
9 votes
0 answers
230 views

Using Property (T) to approximate invertible matrices

In the wikipedia article for Kazhdan's Property (T), there's an intriguing application: Similarly, groups with property (T) can be used to construct finite sets of invertible matrices which can ...
4 votes
1 answer
212 views

Kernels of representations of $C^*(G)$

Let G be a discrete group. I am interested in the following: let $\pi$ and $\rho$ be two representations of $G$. Denote by $C^*Ker\pi$ and $C^* Ker \rho$ the kernels of the corresponding ...
4 votes
0 answers
114 views

Coming up with a represenation for sum of functions in the Fourier algebra

This is my first overflow question, so let me apologize in advance if this belongs on http://math.stackexchange.com. Let $G$ be a discrete group. Let $\lambda:G\to B(\ell^{2}(G))$ be the left ...
3 votes
0 answers
237 views

Orthogonality relations for unitary representations of infinite (finitely generated) groups

Let $G$ be a group, and consider the matrix elements of finite dimensional irreducible unitary representations of $G$ over $\mathbb{C}$ as functions $f:G\to \mathbb{C}$. If $G$ is finite, any two ...
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(\...
13 votes
0 answers
474 views

Does anybody know if the Fourier algebra of SL(3,Z) has an approximate identity?

(Note to those who like to tidy LaTeX, or ${\rm \LaTeX}$: I kindly request that you don't put any LaTeX in the title of this question, nor change the bolds below to blackboard bold.)$\newcommand{\FA}{{...
0 votes
2 answers
225 views

Isomorphism theorem for subfactors?

It's about the existence of a generalization of the first isomorphism theorem for groups, for subfactors : Let $(N \subset M)$ and $(N' \subset M')$ be irreducible inclusions of hyperfinite $II_1$ ...
5 votes
0 answers
241 views

Find a lower bound for a pre-invariant $Fol(L(F_m), X_m)$

In the paper of Bannon and Ravichandran, A Folner invariant for type $\rm{II}_1$ factors, they defined an invariant $Fol(M)$ for a separable type $\rm{II}_1$ factor $M$, especially for the free group ...
4 votes
2 answers
562 views

Are the groups $C( \mathbb{R} ; U(n) )$ isomorphic?

Let $C(\mathbb{R};{U}(n))$ denote the topological group of continuous functions $\mathbb{R}\to {U}(n)$ with pointwise multiplication and compact-open topology. My question is: Are these groups ...
3 votes
0 answers
301 views

What information about a locally compact group $G$ is encoded in $C_r^\ast(G)$ which is not in $L^1(G)$?

Let $G$ be a locally compact group and let $ C_r^\ast(G) $ denote its reduced group $C^\ast$-algebra. Many features of a $G$ can be realized from $L^1(G)$ or $C_r^\ast(G)$. For example, $G$ is ...
10 votes
0 answers
509 views

Lacunary hyperbolic groups and weak amenability

In the paper called Lacunary Hyperbolic group, Y. Ol'shanskii, D. Osin and M. Sapir define and characterize the lacunary hyperbolic groups, which contains the hyperbolic groups but also Tarski's ...
9 votes
2 answers
928 views

Property (T) for pseudogroups

Let $H$ be a Hilbert space, $S(H)$ be the inverse semigroup (pseudogroup) of linear maps between (closed) subspaces of $H$ preserving the dot product (the operation is composition of partial maps). ...
13 votes
1 answer
404 views

Self map of unitary group

Let $H$ be a Hilbert space and let $u_1 \in U(H)$ be a unitary operator on $H$. Consider the self-map $w: U(H) \to U(H)$ which is given by $$w(v) := v^2 u_1 v^{-1}.$$ Since $U(H)$ is connected, there ...
7 votes
1 answer
577 views

Does a crossed product R⋊_α F_n of the hyperfinite factor of type II_1 and a free group have the QWEP?

Let $\mathcal{R}$ be the hyperfinite factor of type $\rm{II}_1$ and let $\mathbb{F}_n$ be a free group with $n$ generators. Let $\alpha$ be an action of $\mathbb{F}_n$ on $\mathcal{R}$. Does the von ...