A class of simple \(C^*\)-algebras with stable rank one (Q1004363)

AH algebras play an important role in the classification of \(C^*\)-algebras. The paper under review is concerned with simple unital \textit{diagonal} AH algebras, which are shown to have stable rank one. This extends the similar result obtained for the class of AH algebras with \textit{slow dimension growth} in [\textit{M.\,Dadarlat, G.\,Nagy, A.\,Nemethi} and \textit{C.\,Pasnicu}, ``Reduction of topological stable rank in inductive limits of \(C^*\)-algebras'', Pac.\ J.\ Math.\ 153, 267--276 (1992; Zbl 0809.46054)] and [\textit{B.\,Blackadar, M.\,Dadarlat} and \textit{M.\,Rørdam}, ``The real rank of inductive limit \(C^*\)-algebras'', Math.\ Scand.\ 69, 211--216 (1991; Zbl 0776.46025)]. Diagonal AH algebras without slow dimension growth feature prominently in the work of \textit{J.\,Villadsen} [``Simple \(C^*\)-algebras with perforation'', J.~Funct.\ Anal.\ 154, No.\,1, 110--116 (1998; Zbl 0915.46047)] and of the third author [``On the classification problem for nuclear \(C^*\)-algebras'', Ann.\ Math.\ (2) 167, No.\,3, 1029--1044 (2008; Zbl 1181.46047)]. An essential intermediate step in the proof consists in providing an equivalent characterization for the simplicity of a diagonal AH algebra \(A=\varinjlim (A_i,\phi_i)\), with \(A_i=\bigoplus_{t=1}^{k_i} M_{n_i,t} \big( C(X_{i,t})\big)\) and \(X_{i,t}\) connected compact metric spaces, called property \(\mathcal{P}\) and involving a certain local approximation property for the connecting morphisms \(\phi_{i,j}=\phi_{j-1}\circ \cdots \circ \phi_i\).