Uniqueness questions for \(C^\ast\)-norms on group rings (Q1741432): Difference between revisions

\textit{R. Grigorchuk} et al. [Comment. Math. Helv. 93, No. 1, 157--201 (2018; Zbl 1396.46044)] proved that if a discrete group \(\Gamma\) is locally finite (i.e., if every finitely generated subgroup is finite), then the complex group algebra \(\mathbb{C}\Gamma\) has a unique \(C^*\)-completion, and asked if the converse is true. The authors of the present paper use the strong Atiyah conjecture to prove that the class of countable groups \(\Gamma\) for which \(\mathbb{C}\Gamma\) does not have a unique \(C^*\)-norm includes (i) infinite groups of polynomial growth; (ii) torsion free elementary amenable groups with a nontrivial finite conjugacy class; (iii) groups with a central element of infinite order. This evidence is a progress towards a positive answer to the above question.