The Elliott conjecture for Villadsen algebras of the first type (Q1011428)

The Jiang-Su \(C^*\)-algebra \(\mathcal{Z}\), constructed as a simple unital inductive limit of dimension drop intervals, has the same \(K\)-theory as the complex numbers [\textit{X.-H.\thinspace Jiang} and \textit{H.-B.\thinspace Su}, ``On a simple unital projectionless \(C^*\)-algebra'', Am.\ J.\ Math.\ 121, No.\,2, 359--413 (1999; Zbl 0923.46069)]. A \(C^*\)-algebra \(A\) is said to be \(\mathcal{Z}\)-stable, or to tensorially absorb \(\mathcal{Z}\), when \(A\cong A \otimes \mathcal{Z}\). It is widely agreed [cf., e.\ g., \textit{A.\,S.\thinspace Toms} and \textit{W.\,Winter}, ``\(\mathcal{Z}\)-stable ASH algebras'', Can.\ J.\ Math.\ 60, No.\,3, 703--720 (2008; Zbl 1157.46034)] that the largest class for which Elliott's classification conjecture [\textit{G.\,A.\thinspace Elliott}, ``The classification problem for amenable \(C^*\)-algebras'', in Proc.\ ICM '94, Zürich, Birkhäuser, 922--932 (1995; Zbl 0946.46050)] can hold consists of \(\mathcal Z\)-stable algebras. In the paper under review, a broad class \({\mathcal V}\text{I}\) of AH algebras, called \textit{Villadsen algebras of the first type}, is defined. This includes Villadsen's example of a simple separable nuclear \(C^*\)-algebra with perforated ordered \(K_0\)-group, Goodearl algebras, as well as many AF algebras, \(A\mathbf{T}\) algebras, and AH algebras of slow dimension growth. All topological spaces involved in the definition of a \({\mathcal V}\text{I}\) AH algebra are certain powers of the same space \(X\), called the seed space of \(A\). Assuming that such a \(C^*\)-algebra \(A\) is simple with a finite-dimensional CW complex as seed space, the authors prove the equivalence of the following six properties: (i) \(A\) is \(\mathcal{Z}\)-stable; (ii) \(A\) has strict comparison of positive elements; (iii) \(A\) has finite decomposition rank; (iv) \(A\) has slow dimension growth; (v) \(A\) has bounded dimension growth; (vi) \(A\) is approximately divisible. Furthermore, it is shown that these conditions are fulfilled when \(A\) has real rank zero. Finally, a large family of non-isomorphic simple \({\mathcal V}\text{I}\) algebras is exhibited, with the same topological \(K\)-theory and tracial state space.