C*-algebras from partial isometric representations of LCM semigroups
Charles Starling, Ilija Tolich
备注：
38 pages. The title has changed; previously this was called "The C*-algebra of a cancellative semigroup." The introduction has been significantly expanded, with some added motivation and updated references. The proof of the last result has changed between v3 and v4 (though both are correct). Version 4 matches the version published in Münster J. Math
We give a new construction of a C*-algebra from a cancellative semigroup $P$ via partial isometric representations, generalising the construction from the second named author's thesis. We then study our construction in detail for the special case when $P$ is an LCM semigroup. In this case we realize our algebras as inverse semigroup algebras and groupoid algebras, and apply our construction to free semigroups and Zappa-Szép products associated to self-similar groups.
We study C*-algebras associated to right LCM semigroups, that is, semigroups which are left cancellative and for which any two principal right ideals are either disjoint or intersect in another principal right ideal. If $P$ is such a semigroup, its C*-algebra admits a natural boundary quotient $\mathcal{Q}(P)$. We show that $\mathcal{Q}(P)$ is isomorphic to the tight C*-algebra of a certain inverse semigroup associated to $P$, and thus is isomorphic to the C*-algebra of an étale groupoid. We use this to give conditions on $P$ which guarantee that $\mathcal{Q}(P)$ is simple and purely infinite,…
This paper examines actions of right LCM semigroups by endomorphisms of C*-algebras that encode an additional structure of the right LCM semigroup. We define contractive covariant representations for these semigroup dynamical systems and prove a generalized Stinespring's dilation theorem showing that these representations can be dilated if and only if the map on the C*-algebra is unital and completely positive. This generalizes earlier results about dilations of right LCM semigroups of contractions. In addition, we also give sufficient conditions under which a contractive covariant representat…
We introduce algebraic dynamical systems, which consist of an action of a right LCM semigroup by injective endomorphisms of a group. To each algebraic dynamical system we associate a C*-algebra and describe it as a semigroup C*-algebra. As part of our analysis of these C*-algebras we prove results for right LCM semigroups. More precisely we discuss functoriality of the full semigroup C*-algebra and compute its K-theory for a large class of semigroups. We introduce the notion of a Nica-Toeplitz algebra of a product system over a right LCM semigroup, and show that it provides a useful alternativ…
Let P be a left LCM semigroup, and $α$ an action of $P$ by endomorphisms of a $C^{*}$-algebra $A$. We study a semigroup crossed product $C^{*}$-algebra in which the action $α$ is implemented by partial isometries. This crossed product gives a model for the Nica-Teoplitz algebras of product systems of Hilbert bimodules (associated with semigroup dynamical systems) studied first by Fowler, for which we provide a structure theorem as it behaves well under short exact sequences and tensor products.
We prove a functoriality result for the full C*-algebras of right-LCM monoids with respect to monoid inclusions that are closed under factorization and preserve orthogonality, and use this to show that if a right-LCM monoid is amenable in the sense of Nica, then so are its submonoids. As applications, we complete the classification of Artin monoids with respect to Nica amenability by showing that only the right-angled ones are amenable in the sense of Nica and we show that the Nica amenability of a graph product of right-LCM semigroups is inherited by the factors.
We determine the structure of equilibrium states for a natural dynamics on the boundary quotient diagram of $C^*$-algebras for a large class of right LCM semigroups. The approach is based on abstract properties of the semigroup and covers the previous case studies on $\mathbb{N} \rtimes \mathbb{N}^\times$, dilation matrices, self-similar actions, and Baumslag-Solitar monoids. At the same time, it provides new results for large classes of right LCM semigroups, including those associated to algebraic dynamical systems.
We initiate the study of the internal structure of C*-algebras associated to a left cancellative semigroup in which any two principal right ideals are either disjoint or intersect in another principal right ideal; these are variously called right LCM semigroups or semigroups that satisfy Clifford's condition. Our main findings are results about uniqueness of the full semigroup C*-algebra. We build our analysis upon a rich interaction between the group of units of the semigroup and the family of constructible right ideals. As an application we identify algebraic conditions on S under which C*(S…
Regular dilation has recently been extended to graph product of $\mathbb{N}$, where having a *-regular dilation is equivalent to having a minimal isometric Nica-covariant dilation. In this paper, we first extend the result to right LCM semigroups, and establish a similar equivalence among *-regular dilation, minimal isometric Nica-covariant dilation, and a Brehmer-type condition. This result can be applied to various semigroups to establish conditions for *-regular dilation.
We propose a boundary quotient diagram for right LCM semigroups with property (AR) that generalizes the boundary quotient diagram for the $ax+b$-semigroup over the natural numbers. Our approach focuses on two important subsemigroups: the core subsemigroup and the semigroup of core irreducible elements. The diagram is then employed to unify several case studies on KMS-states, and we end with a discussion on $K$-theoretical aspects of the diagram motivated by recent findings for integral dynamics.
We prove uniqueness of representations of Nica-Toeplitz algebras associated to product systems of $C^*$-correspondences over right LCM semigroups by applying our previous abstract uniqueness results developed for $C^*$-precategories. Our results provide an interpretation of conditions identified in work of Fowler and Fowler-Raeburn, and apply also to their crossed product twisted by a product system, in the new context of right LCM semigroups, as well as to a new, Doplicher-Roberts type $C^*$-algebra associated to the Nica-Toeplitz algebra. As a derived construction we develop Nica-Toeplitz cr…
We study the internal structure of $C^*$-algebras of right LCM monoids by means of isolating the core semigroup $C^*$-algebra as the coefficient algebra of a Fock-type module on which the full semigroup $C^*$-algebra admits a left action. If the semigroup has a generalised scale, we classify the KMS-states for the associated time evolution on the semigroup $C^*$-algebra, and provide sufficient conditions for uniqueness of the KMS$_β$-state at inverse temperature $β$ in a critical interval.
We introduce and analyze the full $\mathcal{NT}_{\mathcal{L}}(\mathcal{K})$ and the reduced $\mathcal{NT}_{\mathcal{L}}^r(\mathcal{K})$ Nica-Toeplitz algebra associated to an ideal $\mathcal{K}$ in a right tensor $C^*$-precategory $\mathcal{L}$ over a right LCM semigroup $P$. Our main results are uniqueness theorems in the spirit of classical Coburn's theorem, generalizing uniqueness results for Toeplitz-type $C^*$-algebras associated to single $C^*$-correspondences, quasi-lattice ordered semigroups, and crossed products twisted by product systems of $C^*$-correspondences obtained by Fowler, L…
We study distinguished subalgebras and automorphisms of boundary quotients arising from algebraic dynamical systems $(G,P,θ)$. Our work includes a complete solution to the problem of extending Bogolubov automorphisms from the Cuntz algebra in $2 \leq p<\infty$ generators to the $p$-adic ring $C^*$-algebra. For the case where $P$ is abelian and $C^*(G)$ is a maximal abelian subalgebra, we establish a picture for the automorphisms of the boundary quotient that fix $C^*(G)$ pointwise. This allows us to show that they form a maximal abelian subgroup of the entire automorphism group. The picture al…
We discuss the internal structure of graph products of right LCM semigroups and prove that there is an abundance of examples without property (AR). Thereby we provide the first examples of right LCM semigroups lacking this seemingly common feature. The results are particularly sharp for right-angled Artin monoids.
We study groupoids and semigroup C*-algebras arising from graphs of monoids, in the setting of right LCM monoids. First, we establish a general criterion when a graph of monoids gives rise to a submonoid of the fundamental group which is right LCM. Moreover, we carry out a detailed analysis of structural properties of semigroup C*-algebras arising from graphs of monoids, including closed invariant subspaces and topological freeness of the groupoids as well as ideal structure, nuclearity and K-theory of the semigroup C*-algebras. As an application, we construct families of pairwise non-conjugat…
We study isometric representations of the semigroup $\mathbb{Z}_+\backslash \{1\}$. Notion of an inverse representation is introduced and a complete description (up to unitary equivalence) of such representations is given. Also, we study a class of non-inverse irreducible representations -- $β$-representations of the semigroup $\mathbb{Z}_+\backslash \{1\}$.
In this paper we propose a new technical tool for analyzing representations of Hilbert $C^*$-product systems. Using this tool, we give a new proof that every doubly commuting representation over $\mathbb{N}^k$ has a regular isometric dilation, and we also prove sufficient conditions for the existence of a regular isometric dilation of representations over more general subsemigroups of $\mathbb{R}_+^k$.
We revisit Sz.-Nagy's criteria for similarity of Hilbert space bounded linear operators to isometries or unitaries and present new ones. We also discuss counterparts of the Dixmier-Day theorem concerning bounded representations of amenable groups and semigroups. We highlight the role of Folner sets in similarity problems in both settings of unimodular, $σ$-compact, amenable groups and in discrete semigroups possessing the Strong Folner condition (SFC).
We introduce the notion of accurate foundation sets and the accurate refinement property for right LCM semigroups. For right LCM semigroups with this property, we derive a more explicit presentation of the boundary quotient. In the context of algebraic dynamical systems, we also analyse finiteness properties of foundation sets which lead us to a very concrete presentation. Based on Starling's recent work, we provide sharp conditions on certain algebraic dynamical systems for pure infiniteness and simplicity of their boundary quotient.
Suppose $Γ^{+}$ is the positive cone of a totally ordered abelian group $Γ$, and $(A,Γ^{+},α)$ is a system consisting of a $C^*$-algebra $A$, an action $α$ of $Γ^{+}$ by extendible endomorphisms of $A$. We prove that the partial-isometric crossed product $A\times_α^{\piso}Γ^{+}$ is a full corner in the subalgebra of $Ł(\ell^{2}(Γ^{+},A))$, and that if $α$ is an action by automorphisms of $A$, then it is the isometric-crossed product $(B_{Γ^{+}}\otimes A)\times^{\iso}Γ^{+}$, which is therefore a full corner in the usual crossed product of system by a group of automorphisms. We use these realiza…
Let $Γ^+$ be the positive cone in a totally ordered abelian group $Γ$, and let $α$ be an action of $Γ^+$ by endomorphisms of a $C^*$-algebra $A$. We consider a new kind of crossed-product $C^*$-algebra $A\times_αΓ^+$, which is generated by a faithful copy of $A$ and a representation of $Γ^+$ as partial isometries. We claim that these crossed products provide a rich and tractable family of Toeplitz algebras for product systems of Hilbert bimodules, as recently studied by Fowler, and we illustrate this by proving detailed structure theorems for actions by forward and backward shifts.
Let $Γ^{+}$ be the positive cone in a totally ordered abelian group $Γ$, and $α$ an action of $Γ^{+}$ by extendible endomorphisms of a $C^{\ast}$-algebra $A$. Suppose $I$ is an extendible $α$-invariant ideal of $A$. We prove that the partial-isometric crossed product $\mathcal{I}:=I\times_α^{\textrm{piso}}Γ^{+}$ embeds naturally as an ideal of $A\times_α^{\textrm{piso}}Γ^{+}$, such that the quotient is the partial-isometric crossed product of the quotient algebra. We claim that this ideal $\mathcal{I}$ together with the kernel of a natural homomorphism $ϕ: A\times_α^{\textrm{piso}}Γ^{+}\righta…
Let $Γ^{+}$ be the positive cone of a totally ordered abelian discrete group $Γ$, and $α$ an action of $Γ^{+}$ by extendible endomorphisms of a $C^*$-algebra $A$. We prove that the partial-isometric crossed product $A\times_α^{\textrm{piso}}Γ^{+}$ is a full corner of a group crossed product $\mathcal{B}\times_βΓ$, where $\mathcal{B}$ is a subalgebra of $\ell^{\infty}(Γ,A)$ generated by a collection of faithful copies of $A$, and the action $β$ on $\mathcal{B}$ is induced by shift on $\ell^{\infty}(Γ,A)$. We then use this realization to show that $A\times_α^{\textrm{piso}}Γ^{+}$ has an essentia…
We construct a weak dilation of a not necessarily unital CP-semigroup to an E-semigroup acting on the adjointable operators of a Hilbert module with a unit vector. We construct the dilation in such a way that the dilating E-semigroup has a pre-assigned product system. Then, making use of the commutant of von Neumann correspondences, we apply the dilation theorem to proof that covariant representations of product systems admit isometric dilations.
We establish a Wold-type decomposition for isometric and isometric Nica-covariant representations of the odometer semigroup. These generalize the Wold-type decomposition for commuting pairs of isometries due to Popovici and for pairs of doubly commuting isometries due to Słociński.
Let S be a subsemigroup of an abelian torsion-free group G. If S is a positive cone of G, then all C*-algebras generated by faithful isometrical non-unitary representations of S are canonically isomorphic. Proved by Murphy, this statement generalized the well-known theorems of Coburn and Douglas. In this note we prove the reverse. If all C*-algebras generated by faithful isometrical non-unitary representations of S are canonically isomorphic, then S is a positive cone of G. Also we consider G = Z\times Z and prove that if S induces total order on G, then there exist at least two unitarily not …
The w*-closed triple semigroup algebra was introduced by Power and the author in [19], where it was proved to be reflexive and to be chiral, in the sense of not being unitarily equivalent to its adjoint algebra. Here an analogous operator norm-closed triple semigroup algebra $A_{ph}^{G+}$ is considered and shown to be a triple semi-crossed product for the action on analytic almost periodic functions by the semigroups of one-sided translations and one-sided dilations. The structure of isometric automorphisms of $A_{ph}^{G+}$ is determined and $A_{ph}^{G+}$ is shown to be chiral with respect to …
We prove a new uniqueness theorem for the tight C*-algebras of an inverse semigroup by generalizing the uniqueness theorem given for étale groupoid C*-algebras by Brown, Nagy, Reznikoff, Sims, and Williams. We use this to show that in the nuclear and Hausdorff case, a *-homomorphism from the boundary quotient C*-algebra of a right LCM monoid is injective if and only if it is injective on the subalgebra generated by the core submonoid. We also use our result to clarify the identity of the tight C*-algebra of an inverse semigroup we previously associated to a subshift and erroneously identified …
Let $\mathcal{S}$ be the semigroup $\mathcal{S}=\sum^{\oplus k}_{i=1}\Sc{S}_i$, where for each $i\in I$, $\mathcal{S}_i$ is a countable subsemigroup of the additive semigroup $\B{R}_+$ containing 0. We consider representations of $\mathcal{S}$ as contractions $\{T_s\}_{s\in\mathcal{S}}$ on a Hilbert space with the Nica-covariance property: $T_s^*T_t=T_tT_s^*$ whenever $t\wedge s=0$. We show that all such representations have a unique minimal isometric Nica-covariant dilation. This result is used to help analyse the nonself-adjoint semicrossed product algebras formed from Nica-covariant represe…
To each monoid $P$ that embeds in a group we associate a universal Toeplitz C*-algebra $T_u(P)$ defined via generators and relations; $T_u(P)$ is a quotient of Li's semigroup C*-algebra $C^*(P)$ and they are isomorphic if and only if $P$ satisfies independence. We give a partial crossed product realization of $T_u(P)$ and show that several key results known for $C^*(P)$ when $P$ satisfies independence are also valid for $T_u(P)$ when independence fails. At the level of the reduced semigroup C*-algebra $T_r(P)$, we show that nontrivial ideals have nontrivial intersection with the reduced crosse…
We study completely contractive representations of product systems of $C^*$-correspondences over semigroups. For a product system of $C^*$-correspondences over the semigroup $\mathbb{N}^2$, we prove that every such representation can be dilated to an isometric (or Toeplitz) representation. We use it to prove that every pair of commuting CP maps on a von Neumann algebra $M$ can be dilated to a commuting pair of endomorphisms (on a larger von Neumann algebra).
We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for a representation of a lattice ordered semigroup to be regular, in the sense that certain extensions are completely positive definite. This result generalizes a theorem due to Brehmer where the lattice ordered group was taken to be $\mathbb{Z}_+^Ω$. As an immediate consequence, we prove that contractive Nica-covariant representations on lattice ordered semigroups are regular, and therefore, its minimal isometric dilation is also Nica-covariant. We also introduce an analog of commuting row contractions on lattice ordered group and show that s…
The parabolic algebra A_p is the weakly closed algebra on L^2(R) generated by the unitary semigroup of right translations and the unitary semigroup of multiplication by the analytic exponential functions e^{iλx}, λ\geq 0. This algebra is reflexive with an invariant subspace lattice, Lat A_p, which is naturally homeomorphic to the unit disc (Katavolos and Power, 1997). This identification is used here to classify strongly irreducible isometric representations of the partial Weyl commutation relations. The notion of a synthetic subspace lattice is extended from commutative to noncommutative latt…
Fell's absorption principle states that the left regular representation of a group absorbs any unitary representation of the group when tensored with it. In a weakened form, this result carries over to the left regular representation of a right LCM submonoid of a group and its Nica covariant isometric representations but it fails if the semigroup does not satisfy independence. In this paper we explain how to extend Fell's absorption principle to an arbitrary submonoid $P$ of a group $G$ by using an enhanced version of the left regular representation. Li's semigroup $C^*$-algebra $C^*_s(P)$ and…
W. Arveson has described a cocycle conjugacy class $U(α)$ of $E_0$-semigroup $α$ on B(H) which is a factor of type $\rm I$. Under some conditions on $α$, there is a $E_0$-semigroup $β\in U(α)$ being a flow of shifts in the sence of R.T. Powers. We study quasifree endomorphisms semigroups $α$ on the hyperfinite factor $M=π(A(K))''$ generated by the representations $π$ of the algebra of canonical anticommutation relations A(K) over a separable Hilbert space K. The type of M can be $\rm I$, $\rm II$ or $\rm III$ depending on $π$. The cocycle conjugacy class $U(α)$ is described in the terms of ini…
We study two classes of operator algebras associated with a unital subsemigroup $P$ of a discrete group $G$: one related to universal structures, and one related to co-universal structures. First we provide connections between universal C*-algebras that arise variously from isometric representations of $P$ that reflect the space $\mathcal{J}$ of constructible right ideals, from associated Fell bundles, and from induced partial actions. This includes connections of appropriate quotients with the strong covariance relations in the sense of Sehnem. We then pass to the reduced representation $\mat…
Let $\sS$ be a countable, abelian semigroup of continuous surjections on a compact metric space $X$. Corresponding to this dynamical system we associate two operator algebras, the tensor algebra, and the semicrossed product. There is a unique smallest C$^*$-algebra into which an operator algebra is completely isometrically embedded, which is the C$^*$-envelope. We provide two distinct characterizations of the C$^*$-envelope of the tensor algebra; one developed in a general setting by Katsura, and the other using tools of projective and inductive limits, which gives the C$^*$-envelope as a cros…
A trace $τ$ on a separable C*-algebra $A$ is called matricial field (MF) if there is a trace-preserving morphism from $A$ to $Q_ω$, where $Q_ω$ denotes the norm ultrapower of the universal UHF-algebra $Q$. In general, the trace $τ$ induces a state on the Cuntz semigroup $Cu(A)$. We show there is always a state-preserving morphism from $Cu(A)$ to $Cu(Q_ω)$. As an application, if $A$ is an AI-algebra and $F$ is a free group acting on $A$, then every trace on the reduced crossed product $A \rtimes F$ is MF. This further implies the same result when $A$ is an AH-algebra with the ideal property suc…
Given a discrete and countable inverse semigroup $S$ one can study, in analogy to the group case, its geometric aspects. In particular, we can equip $S$ with a natural metric, given by the path metric in the disjoint union of its Schützenberger graphs. This graph, which we denote by $Λ_S$, inherits much of the structure of $S$. In this article we compare the C*-algebra $\mathcal{R}_S$, generated by the left regular representation of $S$ on $\ell^2(S)$ and $\ell^\infty(S)$, with the uniform Roe algebra over the metric space, namely $C^*_u(Λ_S)$. This yields a chacterization of when $\mathcal{R}…
Motivated by the definition of a semigroup compactification of a locally compact group and a large collection of examples, we introduce the notion of an (operator) "homogeneous left dual Banach algebra" (HLDBA) over a (completely contractive) Banach algebra $A$. We prove a Gelfand-type representation theorem showing that every HLDBA over $A$ has a concrete realization as an (operator) homogeneous left Arens product algebra: the dual of a subspace of $A^*$ with a compatible (matrix) norm and a type of left Arens product ${\scriptscriptstyle \square}$. Examples include all left Arens product alg…
We study completely contractive representations of product systems $X$ of correspondences over the semigroup $\mathbb{Z}_+^k$. We present a necessary and sufficient condition for such a representation to have a regular isometric dilation. We discuss representations that doubly commute and show that these representations induce completely contractive representations of the norm closed algebra generated by the image of the Fock representation of $X$.
In this paper, we revisit Arveson's characterisation of CCR flows in terms of decomposibility of the product system in the multiparameter context. We show that a multiparameter $E_0$-semigroup is a CCR flow if and only if it is decomposable and admits a unit. In contrast to the one parameter situtation, we exhibit uncountably many examples of decomposable $E_0$-semigroups which do not admit any unit. As applications, we show that for a pure isometric representation $V$, the associated CCR flow $α^{V}$ remembers the unitary equivalence class of $V$. We also compute the positive contractive loca…
We study isometric representations of product systems of correspondences over the semigroup $\mathbb{N}^k$ which are minimal dilations of finite dimensional, fully coisometric representations. We show the existence of a unique minimal cyclic coinvariant subspace for all such representations. The compression of the representation to this subspace is shown to be complete unitary invariant. For a certain class of graph algebras the nonself-adjoint \textsc{wot}-closed algebra generated by these representations is shown to contain the projection onto the minimal cyclic coinvariant subspace. This cl…
We introduce P-graphs, which are generalisations of directed graphs in which paths have a degree in a semigroup P rather than a length in N. We focus on semigroups P arising as part of a quasi-lattice ordered group (G,P) in the sense of Nica, and on P-graphs which are finitely aligned in the sense of Raeburn and Sims. We show that each finitely aligned P-graph admits a C*-algebra C*_{min}(Lambda) which is co-universal for partial-isometric representations of Lambda which admit a coaction of G compatible with the P-valued length function. We also characterise when a homomorphism induced by the …
We introduce the notion of π-extension of the semigroup \mathbb{Z}_+ and study the extensions of the Toeplitz algebras by isometric operators. We show that when the action of the Toeplitz algebra is irreducible all such extensions generate the same algebra, i.e. there are no non-trivial extensions of the Toeplitz algebra. Also we provide the examples of the non-trivial extensions of the Toeplitz algebra in case its representation is reducible.
The notion of a subproduct system, a generalization of that of a product system, is introduced. We show that there is an essentially 1 to 1 correspondence between cp-semigroups and pairs (X,T) where X is a subproduct system and T is an injective subproduct system representation. A similar statement holds for subproduct systems and units of subproduct systems. This correspondence is used as a framework for developing a dilation theory for cp-semigroups. Results we obtain: (i) a *-automorphic dilation to semigroups of *-endomorphisms over quite general semigroups; (ii) necessary and sufficient c…
