AF-embeddability of crossed products of Cuntz algebras (Q1865332)

The Cuntz algebra \({\mathcal O}_n\), \(n=2,3,\dots\), is the universal \(C^*\)-algebra generated by \(n\) isometries \(S_1,\dots,S_n\) satisfying \(S_1 S_1^*+\cdots +S_n S_n^*=1\). Let \(G\) be a locally compact abelian group with dual \(\Gamma\) and duality bracket \(\langle \cdot |\cdot \rangle :G\times \Gamma \rightarrow {\mathbb T}\). A quasi-free action \(\alpha^\omega\) of \(G\) on \({\mathcal O}_n\) is an automorphic action of the form \[ \alpha_t^\omega (S_i)=\langle t |\omega_i \rangle S_i,\qquad t\in \Gamma,\;i=1,\dots,n, \] where \(\omega=(\omega_1,\dots,\omega_n)\) is a fixed \(n\)-tuple in \(\Gamma^n\). Let us denote by \(\langle \omega \rangle\) the closed semigroup generated by \(\omega\) in \(\Gamma\). The paper under review investigates when the crossed product algebra \({\mathcal O}_n \propto_{\alpha^\omega} \Gamma\) is AF-embeddable, or simple and purely infinite. In the first direction, it is proved that if \(-\omega_i \notin \langle \omega \rangle\) for any \(i\), then \({\mathcal O}_n \propto_{\alpha^\omega} \Gamma\) is AF-embeddable. As a corollary, it is derived that if \(G\) is compact, then these conditions are also equivalent with \({\mathcal O}_n \propto_{\alpha^\omega} \Gamma\) being stably finite or to being itself an AF algebra. In particular, when \(G={\mathbb R}\) and \(\omega_1,\dots,\omega_n\) have the same sign, it follows that \({\mathcal O}_n \propto_{\alpha^\omega} \Gamma\) is stably finite, which was previously proved in [\textit{A. Kishimoto} and \textit{A. Kumjian}, Can. J. Math. 48, 980-996 (1996; Zbl 0865.46054)]. In the second part of the paper, it is proved that \({\mathcal O}_n \propto_{\alpha^\omega} \Gamma\) is simple and purely infinite if and only if \(\langle \omega \rangle =\Gamma\). This extends, on the one hand, the corresponding result obtained for \(G={\mathbb R}\) in [\textit{A. Kishimoto} and \textit{A. Kumjian}, Fields Inst. Commun. 13, 173-192 (1997; Zbl 0951.46039)], and shows, on the other hand, a complete dichotomy of simple \(C^*\)-algebras of type \({\mathcal O}_n \propto_{\alpha^\omega} \Gamma\): they are either purely infinite or AF-embeddable. Finally, the case of quasi-free actions on the Cuntz algebra \({\mathcal O}_\infty\) generated by a countable number of isometries with orthogonal ranges is being investigated. It is proved that for \(\omega \in \Gamma^\infty\), the condition \(\langle \omega \rangle =\Gamma\) is equivalent to the simplicity of the crossed product \({\mathcal O}_\infty \propto_{\alpha^\omega} \Gamma\), or to the (apparently) stronger condition that this crossed product is simple and purely infinite.