The relative Dixmier property in discrete crossed products (Q1088129)

Let N be a von Neumann algebra and let U(N) be the unitary operators in N. Then it is known that the norm closure of the convex hull of the set \(\{uxu^*| u\in U(N)\}\), denoted by \(\overline{co} \{uxu^*| u\in U(N)\}\), has a nonvoid intersection with the center of N, or equivalently, with the commutant N' of N. It has been shown that some \(C^*\)-algebras also satisfy this property, which is known as the Dixmier property. More generally, let N be a von Neumann subalgebra of the von Neumann algebra M. The authors say that x has the relative Dixmier property if the set \(K(x)=\overline{co} \{uxu^*| u\in U(N)\}\) has a nonvoid intersection with N'. Then it is an open question whether every x in M has the relative Dixmier property. In fact, the problem of R. V. Kadison and I. Singer on the uniqueness of the extension of a pure state from an atomic masa N of B(H) to B(H) can be formulated in terms of the relative Dixmier property if one identifies B(H) with M. In this paper, the authors show that given a von Neumann algebra on a separable Hilbert space H and a unitary operator v on H such that \(vNv^*=N\), then \(K(xv)\cap N'=\emptyset\) for every \(x\in N\). If N is a von Neumann subalgebra of the von Neumann algebra M, then the authors show that every x in the \(C^*\)-algebra generated by N and its normalizer in M has the relative Dixmier property. The authors discuss the Kadison and Singer problem in terms of their results.