An alternative to free entropy for free group factors (Q1412937)

This paper treats a more elementary approach to the applications of free entropy to the noncommutative free group factors. The second author of this paper constructed in [L. Ge (ed.) et al., Operator Algebras and Operator Theory, Shanghai, July 4-9, 1997, Contemp. Math. 228, 111--131 (1998; Zbl 1047.46507)] an invariant \({\mathbb D}( \vec{A})\) (called the dimension ratio) for a \(k\)-tuple \(\vec{A}\) of Hermitians, and showed that many of the applications of free entropy could be recast in terms of the dimension ratio. The purpose of this paper is to define a very simple invariant \(\eta( \vec{V})\) for a \(k\)-tuple \(\vec{V}\) of unitaries in a finite factor von Neumann algebra, and also to show how this invariant can replace free entropy in many of the important applications. The authors also introduce the notion of metric free entropy and a unitary analogue, and show how these are related to free entropy and each other, because the use of metric free entropy (instead of free entropy) avoids the need for the exact formula for the free entropy of a free \(n\)-tuple of Hermitian operators, and also because the fact that the metric free entropy is defined directly in terms of covering numbers, simplifies many of these applications. They give an extremely elementary proof of \textit{D. Voiculescu's} theorems (Theorems 3.8 and 3.9) in [Invent. Math. 104, No. 1, 201--220 (1991; Zbl 0736.60007)] about the asymptotic distribution of the standard family of independent unitary \(n \times n\) random matrices. This means that their alternative to free entropy can be developed well with much less work. And also this allows a more elementary and direct route to the results about the free group factors in \textit{L. Ge} [Am. J. Math. 119, No. 2, 467--485 (1997; Zbl 0871.46031)]. Next a simplified proof of a generalization of the Ge-Shen prime factor theorem is also given, cf. \textit{L. Ge} [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, No. 23, 12762--12763 (1996; Zbl 0863.46040)] and [Ann. Math. (2), 147, No. 1, 143--157 (1998; Zbl 0924.46050)]. Finally the authors prove, by using their invariant \(\eta\), a generalization of Voiculescu's Cartan subalgebra theorem on the absence of Cartan subalgebras in the noncommutative free group factors, cf. \textit{D. Voiculescu} [Geom. Funct. Anal. 6, No. 1, 172--199 (1996; Zbl 0856.60012)], where Voiculescu proved that the free group factors do not contain Cartan subalgebras. The underpinnings of their approach are theorems of \textit{D. Voiculescu} op. cit. [Invent. Math. 104, No. 1, 201--220 (1991; Zbl 0736.60007)], which state that the standard family of independent unitary \(n \times n\) random matrices is asymptotically a free Haar unitary system. In this paper they use this fact to define an analogue of free entropy for tuples of unitaries instead of tuples of Hermitians, and they use the Haar measure rather than Lebesgue measure.