\(K\)-theory for Rickart \(C^*\)-algebras (Q1189262)

A \(C^*\)-algebra \(A\) is said to be a Rickart \(C^*\)-algebra if for all \(x\in A\), the annihilator \(r(x)=\{y\in A:\;xy=0\}\) is generated by a projection \(e\) in \(A\), i.e., \(r(x)=eA\). If \(A\) is a Rickart \(C^*\)- algebra, then the projections \(P(A)\) form a \(\aleph_ 0\)-complete lattice. The authors introduce versions of the \(K\)-theoretic functors \(U\), \(U(\;)^ 0\), and \(F\) for Rickart \(C^*\)-algebras, where \(F\) is defined for pairs \(J\), \(A\), and \(J\) is a closed ideal in \(A\), and \(F\) is defined from the Murray-von Neumann equivalence class for projections. Their main result takes the form of short exact sequences \[ F(J,A)\to U(A/J)\to K_ 1(A/J) @>\delta>> K_ 0(J), \] where \(\delta\) is the index mapping from \(K\)-theory. In the same spirit, the author proves that a \(C^*\)-algebra \(A\) such that \(1_ n\sim 1\) (for some \(n\geq 2\)) is a \(GE_ n\) if \(K_ 1(A)=U(A)/U(A)^ 0\), and, moreover, in the case \(U(A)'=U(A)^ 0\) where the prime denotes the commutator group construction in the category of groups, i.e. if \(G\) is given \(G'\) is generated by \(aba^{-1}b^{-1}\) so that \(G/G'\) is the Abelianized group. This means that \(K_ 1(A)\) in this case becomes the Abelianized version of \(U(A)\). The author shows, as a corollary, that, if \(A\) is properly infinite Rickart \(C^*\), then \(A/J\) is a \(GE\)-algebra.