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20 votes
0 answers
827 views

Can we define spectral triples using the language of rigged Hilbert spaces?

The traditional mathematical approach to quantum mechanics, as developed by von Neumann, is based on Hilbert spaces and unbounded self-adjoint operators. Another approach, which more closely resembles ...
Dmitri Pavlov's user avatar
18 votes
0 answers
881 views

What is operator tmf?

One of the many wonderful things about K-theory, relative to other generalized cohomology theories, is that it can be defined for not-necessarily-commutative C*-algebras. The resulting construction, ...
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
18 votes
0 answers
557 views

Do quotients of amenable groups C*-algebras satisfy the UCT?

Let G be a discrete amenable group. General Question: Let $J$ be an ideal of $C^*(G)$, the group C*-algebra of $G.$ Does $C^*(G)/J$ satisfy the universal coefficient theorem (UCT)? I am mainly ...
Caleb Eckhardt's user avatar
17 votes
1 answer
514 views

K-theory space of a C*-algebra

Let $A$ be a unital C*-algebra. Let me define its "$K$-theory space" to be the image of its $K$-theory spectrum under the functor $\Omega^\infty:$ Spectra $\to$ Spaces. I denote the $K$-theory space ...
André Henriques's user avatar
16 votes
1 answer
526 views

Equivariant Fredholm operators classify equivariant K-theory

Let $\mathcal{F}$ be the space of Fredholm operators on a separable Hilbert space $H$ with the topology induced by the operator norm. If $X$ is compact, Atiyah-Jänich proved that $$[X,\mathcal{F}]\...
Bo Liu's user avatar
  • 673
16 votes
1 answer
918 views

Explicit path in the unitary group of a $C^*$-algebra

For $G$ a discrete group, there is a canonical inclusion $g\mapsto u_g$ of $G$ into the unitary group of the reduced $C^*$-algebra $C^*_r(G)$. Denote by $[u_g]$ the class of $u_g$ in the (topological) ...
Alain Valette's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
3k views

Zero divisor conjecture and idempotent conjecture

Let $G$ be a torsion-free group and $C$ the ring of complex numbers. The zero divisor (idempotent, resp.) conjecture is that there is no nontrivial zerodivisor (idempotent, resp.) in $CG$. The wiki ...
yeshengkui's user avatar
  • 1,373
13 votes
1 answer
305 views

What does it tell us, if we know a unital C*-algebra has approximately inner (half-)flip?

This is a somewhat vague question, but I think it is not too open-ended and should admit well-circumscribed answers by specialists in operator algebras.$\newcommand{\Cst}{{\rm C}^*}$ It arises from ...
Yemon Choi's user avatar
  • 25.8k
12 votes
2 answers
341 views

Which $K$-groups $K(C^*_r(G))$ are computed?

We have the Pimsner-Voiculescu exact sequences and the Baum-Connes map for possible computation of the $K$-theory of the reduced group $C^*$-algebra $C^*_r(G)$ for a topological, locally compact, ...
hänsel's user avatar
  • 685
11 votes
0 answers
375 views

Why are projectionless $C^*$-algebras important (Kadison's conjecture)

It was considered an important result for a long time to show that the reduced $C^*$-algebra of the free group $C^*_r(F_2)$ has no nontrivial projections. I believe this is also known as Kadison's ...
Alexandar Ruño's user avatar
11 votes
0 answers
401 views

The term "absolute geometry"

My question concerns the so-called absolute geometry over the "field with one element" F_1 or over the spectrum $\mathrm{Spec}(F_1)$, cf. https://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/Borger%27s+absolute+geometry. I ...
santker heboln's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
459 views

K-theory of ultrapowers

It may well be a trivial question but I was wondering if there is any relation between $K$-groups and ultrapowers of $C^*$-algebras. For instance, if $A$ is a $C^*$-algebra does $K_0(A^U)$ depend on ...
TMK's user avatar
  • 103
10 votes
2 answers
688 views

Stable rank one and corners of $C^\ast$-algebras

Thanks to a result of Herman and Vaserstein in [3], Rieffel's notion of stable rank [4] coincides with the Bass stable rank [1] for every $C^\ast$-algebra $A$: we denote it by $\mathrm{sr}(A)$ and we ...
Julien's user avatar
  • 660
10 votes
0 answers
325 views

H-space structure on the Calkin algebra

By the Atiyah-Jänich theorem the K-group $K^0(X)$ for a compact space $X$ may be represented as $[X, U(Q)]$, where $Q = B(H)/K(H)$ is the Calkin algebra and $H$ is a separable infinite dimensional ...
Ulrich Pennig's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
271 views

Algebraic $K_1$ group for a $C^*$-algebra

Let $A$ be a $C^*$-algebra: then one defines topological $K_1$ group as $GL_{\infty}(A^+)/\Big(GL_{\infty}(A^+)\Big)_0$ where $A^+$ denotes $A$ with the unit adjointed (even if $A$ already had a unit: ...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330
9 votes
0 answers
364 views

Geometric motivation behind the Fredholm module definition

If $A$ is an involutive algebra over the complex numbers $\mathbb{C}$, then a Fredholm module over $A$ consists of an involutive representation of $A$ on a Hilbert space $H$, together with a self-...
Max Schattman's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
246 views

Example of a C*-algebra whose $K_1$ is uncountable

We know that if $A$ is a separable $C^{*}$-algebra then $K_1(A)$ is countable. Can anybody give an example of a C*-algebra for which $K_1(A)$ is uncountable?
Peg Leg Jonathan's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
724 views

Role of the UCT problem in classification theory for C*-algebras

Elliott's program for nuclear C*-algebras deals with the problem of classifying nuclear C*-algebras by K-theoretical invariants. A major open question in this context is the UCT problem. A separable ...
worldreporter's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
836 views

Projective modules over noncommutative tori?

It is a theorem of Rieffel that for any simple noncommutative tori ($\mathcal{A}$) of dimension $n$, every projective module over it is isomorphic to direct sum of $\mathcal{S}(M)$, Schwartz class ...
SiOn's user avatar
  • 493
8 votes
2 answers
208 views

Generalisation of the equivalence between $C^*(H)$ and $C_0(G/H) \rtimes G$; induction of group actions on C*-algebras

There is a well known Morita equivalence between the group C*-algebra $C^*(H)$ and $C_0(G/H) \rtimes G$, where $H$ is a subgroup of $G$. The corresponding equivalence of representations is an ...
Motmot's user avatar
  • 293
8 votes
1 answer
269 views

Pinwheel Tilings and C* algebras, K-theory

I was reading that spaces of tilings can be related to C*-algebras and K-theory. Here is an example of the pinwheel tiling. [1] They construct a space called $\mathcal{A}\mathbb{T}_{pin}$ and show ...
john mangual's user avatar
  • 22.8k
8 votes
1 answer
570 views

Comparing the definitions of $K$-theory and $K$-homology for $C^*$-algebras

In Higson and Roe's Analytic K-homology, for a unital $C*$-algebra $A$, the definitions of K-theory and K-homology have quite a similar flavor. Roughly, the group $K_0(A)$ is given by the ...
Dave Shulman's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
355 views

Morita equivalence of the invariant uniform Roe algebra and the reduced group C*-algebra

In his paper "Comparing analytic assemby maps", J. Roe considers a proper and cocompact action of a countable group $\Gamma$ on a metric space $X$. He constructs the Hilbert $C^*_r(\Gamma)$-module $L^...
Alexander Alldridge's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
422 views

K theory for pre $C^*$-algebras

In noncommutative geometry when one want to go to the differentiable level, one is forced to work with algebras which are no longer $C^*$. It is nice if we don't loose much information by the ...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330
8 votes
0 answers
493 views

Two pictures of K-theory and Bott periodicity

Let me recall the definition of the Bott periodicity isomorphism in the context of $C^*$-algebras. We take a (class of) projection $p \in M_n(A^+)$ and map it to the class of $M_n(A)$ valued loop $f_p$...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330
7 votes
2 answers
772 views

Can anyone calculate KK(A,B) when neither A or B are the complex numbers?

Here I am referring to Kasparov's KK-theory, a bivariant functor on the category of separable C* algebras. It is well known that $KK(A, \mathbb{C})$ is K-homology and $KK(\mathbb{C}, B)$ is K-theory, ...
Paul Siegel's user avatar
  • 29.2k
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
1 answer
373 views

Generator of $K_0(C_0(\mathbb{C}))$

$\newcommand{\C}{\mathbb{C}}\newcommand{\Z}{\mathbb{Z}}$ I know from Bott-periodicity that $K_0(C_0(\mathbb{C}))\simeq \Z$, is there any easy way to compute an explicit generator of $K_0(C_0(\mathbb{C}...
Julio Cáceres's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
306 views

An extension of $K$-theory to topological $^*$-algebras

What I have in mind is the following: a (sequence of) functor(s) $K_\bullet$ on the category of topological $^*$-algebras (with values in the category of commutative groups) that satisfies (among ...
Jonathan Gleason's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
525 views

Integrality of the canonical trace and topology

Let $G$ be a discrete group and consider the reduced group C* algebra $C_r^\ast(G)$, viewed as an algebra of bounded operators on $\ell^2(G)$ by the regular representation. The canonical trace on $...
Paul Siegel's user avatar
  • 29.2k
7 votes
1 answer
347 views

Separability of the C*-algebra in the definition of K-homology

There are (at least) two approaches to K-homoology: one is via the so called dual algebra which is due to Paschke. The second is via the Fredholm modules and is due to Kasparov. In Nigel Higson's book ...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330
7 votes
1 answer
250 views

$K_0$ group of graph underlying an approximately finite (AF) C* algebra

Say we have an AF C* algebra $A$ described by some Bratteli diagram $E$. If $M_\infty (A)=\displaystyle{\lim_\rightarrow M_n(A)}$ and $P(A)$ are the projections in this algebra, we know that $K_0(A)^+=...
asdf's user avatar
  • 125
7 votes
1 answer
475 views

Taking direct sums in $K$-theory in Kirchberg-Phillips classification

A theorem by Kirchberg and Phillips states that two unital separable nuclear simple purely infinite $C^*$-algebras (so called Kirchberg algebras) satisfying the Universal Coefficient Theorem are ...
Hans's user avatar
  • 261
7 votes
0 answers
159 views

Maps in the Künneth theorem for K-theory of C*-algebras

The following is named the Künneth theorem for tensor products in the book by Blackadar on K-theory for operator algebras: If $A$ and $B$ are C*-algebras and $A$ is in the bootstrap class, then there ...
AlexE's user avatar
  • 2,998
7 votes
0 answers
174 views

How does the $C^\ast$ algebra of an orbifold grupoid relate to the corresponding orbifold?

My question is in nature a bit vague but let me try to make it concrete. Given a Lie grupoid $G$ that is étale and proper (called an orbifold grupoid) we have an associated orbifold $X$; this is ...
Miguel Moreira's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
435 views

K theory as the fundamental group

There are several ways in which one can define $K$-theory for $C^*$-algebras: for $K_0(A)$ group two aproaches: algebraic (using idempotents) and topological (using projections, i.e. self-adjoint ...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330
7 votes
0 answers
359 views

Dense ideals in C*-algebras and K-theory

Let $A$ be a nonunital C*-algebra and let $I \subset A$ be a dense, $*$-closed, 2-sided ideal. I was under the impression that there existed some "obvious" argument proving that $I$ carries all the $K$...
Michael's user avatar
  • 662
7 votes
0 answers
189 views

Replacing commutative C*-algebras by simple ones

I am looking for functorial ways of replacing a commutative $C^*$-algebra $C$ by a simple one, say $A$ , such that the $K$-theory remains unchanged, i.e. $K_*(C) \cong K_*(A)$. I am particularly ...
Ulrich Pennig's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
292 views

What morphisms / Morita equivalences induce the 2-periodicity isomorphisms of $KK$-theory?

In Kasparov's paper, the canonical isomorphisms $KK_* \rightarrow KK_{*+2k}$ are defined rather implicitely (by tensoring and stabilization). Are there morphisms of $C^*$-algebras which induce them (...
Michael's user avatar
  • 435
6 votes
1 answer
550 views

A generalized K- theory via generalized idempotents

Edit After the answer by Neil Strickland, I add the word "a ring" in this new version. In the literature, there is a concept of generalized idempotent: an n- idempotent is an element $a$ of a Banach ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
200 views

Coarse index of Dirac operator on $\mathbb{R}$

Let $D=i\frac{d}{dx}$ be the Dirac operator on $\mathbb{R}$, acting on the spinor bundle $\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{C}$. The bounded operator $F=\frac{D}{\sqrt{D^2+1}}$ has a coarse index $$\text{Ind}(...
geometricK's user avatar
  • 1,903
6 votes
2 answers
487 views

Induction theorems for finite-dimensional complex representations of infinite groups

Let $G$ be a group, usually infinite. I am interested in finite-dimensional complex unitary representations of $G$, i.e. group homomorphisms $G \rightarrow U_n(\mathbb{C})$. The category of these ...
Fabian Lenhardt's user avatar
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
0 answers
158 views

Questions about the $K$-theory of the algebraic standard Podleś sphere

Given $\theta \in \mathbb{R}$ irrational, the $K$-theory of the smooth noncommutative $2$-torus $C^\infty_\theta(\mathbb{T}^2)$ is well understood in relation to that of the corresponding $\mathrm{C}^\...
Branimir Ćaćić's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
181 views

Blocksum induces a unital H-space structure on the space of Fredholm operators

Fix a complex separable infinite-dimensional Hilbert space $H$. It is well known that the space of (bounded) Fredholm operators $Fred(H)$ with the norm topology is a classifying space for the ...
Eric Schlarmann's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
232 views

Group $C^*$ vs group von-Neumann algebras

Let $\Gamma$ be a countable (discrete) group (in what follows, make additional assumptions as you wish). Let $C^*_r(\Gamma)$ and $W^*_r(\Gamma)$ be the reduced $C^*$-algebra respectively the reduced ...
Matthias Ludewig's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
624 views

Topological K-theory for commutative C*-algebras

It is in some sense folklore that given two arbitrary abelian groups $G,H$ one can find a $C^*$ algebra $A$ such that $K_0(A)=G$ and $K_1(A)=H$. My question is the following: what is known in the case ...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Fredholm operators in $K$-theory?

Do Fredholm operators show up in K-theory? Why or why not? The idea of infinite Grassmannians classifying vector bundles is pretty straightforward, but why would adding in additive inverses and what ...
user241357's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
289 views

Unitary representation acting on the K-theory of the reduced group $C^*$-algebra

Let $G$ be a group (usually infinite), $R$ a ring and $\rho: G \rightarrow Gl_n(\mathbb{Z})$ a finite-dimensional representation of $G$. Then we can define a functor from the category of projective $...
Fabian Lenhardt's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
269 views

Equivalence of two pictures of odd $K$-theory

One can show that two functors $K^0$ and $K_0(C(-))$ from the category of compact topological spaces to the category of abelian groups are naturally equivalent. The first one is topological $K$-theory ...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330