We study the class of simple C*-algebras introduced by Villadsen in his pioneering work on perforated ordered K-theory. We establish six equivalent characterisations of the proper subclass which satisfies the strong form of Elliott's classification conjecture: two C*-algebraic (Z-stability and approximate divisibility), one K-theoretic (strict comparison of positive elements), and three topological (finite decomposition rank, slow dimension growth, and bounded dimension growth). The equivalence of Z-stability and strict comparison constitutes a stably finite version of Kirchberg's characterisation of purely infinite C*-algebras. The other equivalences confirm, for Villadsen's algebras, heretofore conjectural relationships between various notions of good behaviour for nuclear C*-algebras.
Let A be a simple, unital, exact, and finite C*-algebra which absorbs the Jiang-Su algebra Z tensorially. We prove that the Cuntz semigroup of A admits a complete order embedding into an ordered semigroup obtained from the Elliott invariant in a functorial manner. We conjecture that this embedding is an isomorphism, and prove the conjecture in several cases. In these same cases -- Z-stable algebras all -- we prove that the Elliott conjecture in its strongest form is equivalent to a conjecture which appears much weaker. Outside the class of Z-stable algebras, this weaker conjecture has no known…
We prove that the Cuntz semigroup is recovered functorially from the Elliott invariant for a large class of C*-algebras. In particular, our results apply to the largest class of simple C*-algebras for which K-theoretic classification can be hoped for. This work has three significant consequences. First, it provides new conceptual insight into Elliott's classification program, proving that the usual form of the Elliott conjecture is equivalent, among Z-stable algebras, to a conjecture which is in general substantially weaker and for which there are no known counterexamples. Second and third, it…
This note provides some technical support to the proof of a result of W. Winter which shows that two unital separable simple amenable ${\cal Z}$-absorbing C*-algebras with locally finite decomposition property satisfying the UCT whose projections separate the traces are isomorphic if their $K$-theory is finitely generated and their Elliott invariants are the same.
Let X be an infinite, compact, metrizable space of finite covering dimension and h a minimal homeomorphism of X. We prove that the crossed product of C(X) by h absorbs the Jiang-Su algebra tensorially and has finite nuclear dimension. As a consequence, these algebras are determined up to isomorphism by their graded ordered K-theory under the necessary condition that their projections separate traces. This result applies, in particular, to those crossed products arising from uniquely ergodic homeomorphisms.
We formally introduce the concept of localizing the Elliott conjecture at a given strongly self-absorbing C*-algebra $D$; we also explain how the known classification theorems for nuclear C*-algebras fit into this concept. As a new result in this direction, we employ recent results of Lin to show that (under a mild K-theoretic condition) the class of separable, unital, simple C*-algebras with locally finite decomposition rank and UCT, and for which projections separate traces, satisfies the Elliott conjecture localized at the Jiang-Su algebra Z. Our main result is formulated in a more general …
In this article we survey some of the recent goings-on in the classification programme of C$^*$-algebras, following the interesting link found between the Cuntz semigroup and the classical Elliott invariant and the fact that the Elliott conjecture does not hold at its boldest. We review the construction of this object both by means of positive elements and via its recent interpretation using countably generated Hilbert modules (due to Coward, Elliott and Ivanescu). The passage from one picture to another is presented with full, concise, proofs. We indicate the potential role of the Cuntz semig…
The Jiang--Su algebra Z has come to prominence in the classification program for nuclear C*-algebras of late, due primarily to the fact that Elliott's classification conjecture predicts that all simple, separable, and nuclear C*-algebras with unperforated K-theory will absorb Z tensorially (i.e., will be Z-stable). There exist counterexamples which suggest that the conjecture will only hold for simple, nuclear, separable and Z-stable C*-algebras. We prove that virtually all classes of nuclear C*-algebras for which the Elliott conjecture has been confirmed so far, consist of Z-stable C*-algebra…
We introduce the notion of locally finite decomposition rank, a structural property shared by many stably finite nuclear C*-algebras. The concept is particularly relevant for Elliott's program to classify nuclear C*-algebras by K-theory data. We study some of its properties and show that a simple unital C*-algebra, which has locally finite decomposition rank, real rank zero and which absorbs the Jiang-Su algebra Z tensorially, has tracial rank zero in the sense of Lin. As a consequence, any such C*-algebra, if it additionally satisfies the Universal Coefficients Theorem, is approximately homog…
We show that finitely generated subhomogeneous C*-algebras have finite decomposition rank. As a consequence, any separable ASH C*-algebra can be written as an inductive limit of subhomogeneous C*-algebras each of which has finite decomposition rank. It then follows from work of H. Lin and of the second named author that the class of simple unital ASH algebras which have real rank zero and absorb the Jiang-Su algebra tensorially satisfies the Elliott conjecture.
Let A be a unital simple separable C*-algebra with strict comparison of positive elements. We prove that the Cuntz semigroup of A is recovered functorially from the Murray-von Neumann semigroup and the tracial state space T(A) whenever the extreme boundary of T(A) is compact and of finite covering dimension. Combined with a result of Winter, we obtain Z \otimes A isomorphic to A whenever A moreover has locally finite decomposition rank. As a corollary, we confirm Elliott's classification conjecture under reasonably general hypotheses which, notably, do not require any inductive limit structure…
In this article I study a number of topological and algebraic dimension type properties of simple C*-algebras and their interplay. In particular, a simple C*-algebra is defined to be (tracially) (m,\bar{m})-pure, if it has (strong tracial) m-comparison and is (tracially) \bar{m}-almost divisible. These notions are related to each other, and to nuclear dimension. The main result says that if a separable, simple, nonelementary, unital C*-algebra A with locally finite nuclear dimension is (m,\bar{m})-pure, then it absorbs the Jiang-Su algebra Z tensorially. It follows that A is Z-stable if and on…
We show that, if A is a separable simple unital C*-algebra which absorbs the Jiang-Su algebra Z tensorially and which has real rank zero and finite decomposition rank, then A is tracially AF in the sense of Lin, without any restriction on the tracial state space. As a consequence, the Elliott conjecture is true for the class of C*-algebras as above which, additionally, satisfy the Universal Coefficients Theorem. In particular, such algebras are completely determined by their ordered K-theory. They are approximately homogeneous of topological dimension less than or equal to 3, approximately sub…
We study flows on C*-algebras with the Rokhlin property. We show that every Kirchberg algebra carries a unique Rokhlin flow up to cocycle conjugacy, which confirms a long-standing conjecture of Kishimoto. We moreover present a classification theory for Rokhlin flows on C*-algebras satisfying certain technical properties, which hold for many C*-algebras covered by the Elliott program. As a consequence, we obtain the following further classification theorems for Rokhlin flows. Firstly, we extend the statement of Kishimoto's conjecture to the non-simple case: Up to cocycle conjugacy, a Rokhlin fl…