Meet-irreducible ideals and representations of limit algebras. (Q1874449)

A (closed, two-sided) ideal \(\mathcal{J}\) of a Banach algebra \(\mathcal{A}\) is called meet-irreducible if \(\mathcal{J}\) is not the intersection of two (closed, two-sided) ideals of \(\mathcal{A}\), strictly larger than \(\mathcal{J}\). The ideal \(\mathcal{J}\) is called n-primitive if \(\mathcal{J}\) is the kernel of a nest representation of \(\mathcal{A}\), that is, a non-degenerate representation of \(\mathcal{A}\) whose image has a totally ordered invariant subspace lattice. The paper under review deals with the relations between meet-irreducible ideals, n-primitive ideals and representations of triangular approximately finite-dimensional (TAF) algebras. It is shown that an ideal \(\mathcal{J}\) of a TAF algebra \(\mathcal{A}\) is meet-irreducible if and only if the C*-envelope of the quotient \(\mathcal{A}/\mathcal{J}\) is primitive. Moreover, the authors prove that the meet-irreducibility of \(\mathcal{J}\) is equivalent to the existence of a faithful *-representation of the C*-envelope of \(\mathcal{A}/\mathcal{J}\) whose restriction to \(\mathcal{A}/\mathcal{J}\) is a nest representation. It was shown in [\textit{A. P. Donsig}, \textit{A. Hopenwasser}, \textit{T. D. Hudson}, \textit{M. P. Lamoureux} and \textit{B. Solel}, Math. Scand. 87, 27--63 (2000; Zbl 0969.46042)] that a meet-irreducible ideal of a strongly maximal TAF algebra is n-primitive. The authors prove that the converse is also true, thus establishing a well-known conjecture. This result can be compared with an earlier result of the first two authors [\textit{K. R. Davidson} and \textit{E. Katsoulis}, Adv. Math. 170, 181--205 (2002; Zbl 1011.46048)] stating that, in the more general class of NSAF algebras, a (closed two-sided) ideal \(\mathcal{J}\) is prime if and only if \(\mathcal{J}\) is primitive.