Graph von Neumann algebras (Q873970)

Let \(G\) be a countable directed graph with vertices \(V(G)\) and edges \(E(G)\). Let \(\mathbb{G}\) denote the graph groupoid of \(G\), which can be regarded as the free groupoid generated by the edges of \(G\) whose identity elements correspond to the vertices of \(G\). This is not the same groupoid as is associated to a graph \(G\) in [\textit{A.\,Kumijian, D.\,Pask, I.\,Raeburn} and \textit{J.\,Renault}, J.~Funct.\ Anal.\ 144, No.\,2, 505--541 (1997; Zbl 0929.46055)], and is more closely related to the larger Toeplitz groupoid associated to a directed graph \(G\) in [\textit{A.\,L.\,T.\thinspace Paterson}, J.~Oper.\ Theory 48, No.\,3, 645--662 (2002; Zbl 1031.46060)] and [\textit{C.\,Farthing, P.\,S.\thinspace Muhly} and \textit{T.\,Yeend}, Semigroup Forum 71, No.\,2, 159--187 (2005; Zbl 1099.46036)]. Let \(H_G\) denote the Hilbert space with basis indexed by \(\mathbb{G}\). Given a von Neumann algebra \(M \subset B(K)\) and a graph representation \(\alpha\) of \(\mathbb{G}\) on \(K \otimes H_G\), the author constructs a graph von Neumann algebra over \(M\), denoted \(\mathbb{M}_G\). Specifically, \(\mathbb{M_G}\) is a crossed product, in an appropriate sense, of \(M\) by \(\mathbb{G}\) under \(\alpha\). This notion of a crossed product is related to and motivated by \textit{R.\,Exel}'s notion of a crossed product by an interaction [Ergodic Theory Dyn.\ Syst.\ 23, No.\,6, 1733--1750 (2003; Zbl 1059.46050)]. The author constructs a conditional expectation \(E\) from \(\mathbb{M}_G\) to its \(M\)-diagonal subalgebra \(\mathbb{D}_G\), so that \((\mathbb{M}_G, E)\) becomes what he terms an \(M\)-diagonal graph \(W^*\)-probability space. A substantial amount of technical work is involved in calculating the \(\mathbb{D}_G\)-valued \(*\)-moments and \(*\)-cumulants of operators in \(\mathbb{M}_G\). These technical results are then used to demonstrate \(\mathbb{M}_G\) as an amalgamated free product as follows. By regarding each edge \(e\) of \(G\) (together with its range and source vertices) as a graph in its own right, one may construct graph von Neumann algebras \(\mathbb{M}_e\), \(e \in E(G)\). These can be regarded in a canonical way as \(W^*\)-subalgebras of \(\mathbb{M}_G\) itself. The author shows that in fact \(\mathbb{M}_G\) is isomorphic to an amalgamated free product of these \(\mathbb{M}_e\) over \(\mathbb{D}_G\). The author also shows how to decompose \(\mathbb{M}_G\) (as a Banach space) as a direct sum of subspaces associated to reduced paths in \(G\). The paper concludes with a number of examples. For instance: when \(G = G_e\) is a graph with a single edge, and \(M = \mathbb{C}\), then \(\mathbb{M_G}\) is either \(L^\infty(\mathbb{T})\) (if the range and source of \(e\) coincide) or \(M_2(\mathbb{C})\) if the range and source of \(e\) are distinct; and when \(G\) is a bouquet of \(n\) loops on a single vertex, then \(\mathbb{G}\) is isomorphic to the free group \(F_n\) on \(n\) generators, and \(\mathbb{M}_G\) is isomorphic to a classical crossed product of \(M\) by a group action of \(F_n\).