Groupoid and inverse semigroup presentations of ultragraph \(C^{*}\)-algebras (Q1006329)

\textit{Ultragraphs} generalize the notion of a directed graph, allowing the range of an edge to be a set of vertices instead of a single vertex. They were considered by \textit{M.\,Tomforde} [``A unified approach to Exel-Laca algebras and \(C^*\)-algebras associated to graphs'', J.~Oper.\ Theory 50, No.\,2, 345--368 (2003; Zbl 1061.46048)], who associated to each ultragraph \({\mathcal G}\), through a generalized Cuntz-Krieger type construction, a \(C^*\)-algebra \(C^*({\mathcal G})\). This \(C^*\)-algebra class strictly contains both Exel-Laca and graph \(C^*\)-algebras, which in turn are generalizations of Cuntz-Krieger algebras to situations where the size of the defining transition matrix is no longer finite. Some dictionary between properties of \(C^*({\mathcal G})\) (being simple, AF or purely infinite) and properties of \({\mathcal G}\) was also established by \textit{M.\,Tomforde} [``Simplicity of ultragraph algebras'', Indiana Univ.\ Math.\ J.\ 52, No.\,4, 901--925 (2003; Zbl 1080.46046)]. The paper under review develops a groupoid model for Tomforde's ultragraph \(C^*\)-algebras, extending \textit{A.\,L.\,T.\thinspace Paterson}'s approach to graph \(C^*\)-algebras [``Graph inverse semigroups, groupoids, and their \(C^*\)-algebras'', J.~Oper.\ Theory 48, No.\,3, 645--662 (2002; Zbl 1031.46060)]. An inverse semigroup \(S_{\mathcal G}\) is naturally constructed, reflecting the representation theory of the ultragraph \({\mathcal G}\) by partial isometries on Hilbert spaces. The groupoid \({\mathfrak G}_{\mathcal G}\) is then built as a reduction of the universal groupoid of \(S_{\mathcal G}\). It is proved that \(C^*({\mathcal G}) \cong C^* ({\mathfrak G}_{\mathcal G})\) when there are no sinks in \({\mathcal G}\), and that the ultragraph groupoid \({\mathfrak G}_{\mathcal G}\) is amenable. The simplicity of \(C^*({\mathcal G})\) is also investigated in the groupoid setting, when \({\mathcal G}\) has the so-called property (K) that any vertex which hosts a loop hosts at least two distinct loops.