Certain \(C^*\)-algebras with real rank zero and their corona and multiplier algebras. I (Q1207865)

Let \(\mathcal A\) be a \(C^*\)-algebra, then the generalized Weyl-von Neumann theorem holds in the multiplier algebra \(M({\mathcal A})\) if every \(x= x^*\in M({\mathcal A})\) can be decomposed in \(x= \sum_{n=1}^ \infty \lambda_ n p_ n+ a\), where \(a= a^*\in {\mathcal A}\), \(\{p_ n\}\subset {\mathcal A}\) is a sequence of mutually orthogonal projections with \(\sum_{n= 1}^ \infty p_ n= 1\) and \(\{\lambda_ n\}\in I^ \infty( R,N)\). In an earlier paper of the author [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 325, No. 2, 793- 818 (1991; Zbl 0721.46039)] it was shown that the generalized Weyl-von Neumann theorem holds in \(M({\mathcal A})\) if and only if the multiplier algebra has the finite spectrum property, i.e. the set of selfadjoint elements with finite spectrum is normdense in the set of all selfadjoint elements. Recently \textit{L. G. Brown} and \textit{G. K. Pedersen} [\(C^*\)- algebras of real rank zero, J. Funct. Anal. 99, No. 1, 131-149 (1991; Zbl 0776.46026)] have shown that this last property holds if and only if the multiplier algebra has real rank zero, i.e. \(RR(M({\mathcal A}))= 0\). In the first section the author gives a structural description of \(\sigma\)-unital, purely infinite simple \(C^*\)-algebras \(a\). Such an algebra \(\mathcal A\) is either unital or stable, consequently every purely infinite simple \(C^*\)-algebra has the finite spectrum property and hence has real rank zero. In the second section the author investigates the real rank of certain multiplier and corona algebras. For a \(\sigma\)- unital, nonunital, simple \(C^*\)-algebra \(\mathcal A\) with \(RR({\mathcal A})= 0\) such that the corona algebra \(C({\mathcal A}):= M({\mathcal A})/{\mathcal A}\) is simple then i) \(RR(M({\mathcal A})/ {\mathcal A})= 0\) and ii) the real rank of the multiplier algebra is zero, \(RR(M({\mathcal A}))= 0\), if and only if every projection in the corona algebra \(C({\mathcal A})\) lifts to a projection in \(M({\mathcal A})\). Consequently for a \(\sigma\)-unital purely infinite \(C^*\)-algebra \({\mathcal A}\) the multiplier algebra has real rank zero if and only if \(K_ 1({\mathcal A})= 0\). Let \(\mathcal K\) be the algebra of all compact operators in a separable Hilbert space \(H\). If \(\mathcal A\) is a \(\sigma\)-unital simple \(C^*\)-algebra with real rank zero and the multiplier algebra \(M({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal K})\) has only one nontrivial closed ideal \(J\) strictly contained in \({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal K}\) then the author shows that both \(M(A\otimes {\mathcal K})/J\) and \(J/({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal K})\) are purely infinite and simple, hence \(RR(M({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal K})/J)= RR(J/({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal K}))= 0\). Using the lifting technique again the author proves that \(RR(M({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal K}))= 0\) if and only if \(K_ 1({\mathcal A})= K_ 1(J)= 0\). This result covers for instance separable matroid algebras, simple AF algebras with a unique trace, and type \(\text{II}_ 1\) factors. In the third section the author proves that the classical Weyl-von Neumann theorem holds if and only if \(K_ 1({\mathcal K})= 0\) and \(RR({\mathcal K})= 0\), this result being achieved by using only \(C^*\)-algebraic techniques not referring to any structure of the underlying Hilbert space at all. For a purely infinite and simple \(C^*\)-algebra \(\mathcal A\) the author fully describes all hereditary \(C^*\)-subalgebras of the multiplier algebra \(M({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal K})\), especially \(M({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal K})\) has real rank zero if and only if every essential unital, non-unital, hereditary \(C^*\)-subalgebra of \(M({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal K})\) has an approximate unit consisting of projections. In the last section the author derives for a purely infinite, simple \(C^*\)-algebra and \(p\) an infinite projection in \({\mathcal A}\) that \(K_ 1({\mathcal A})\) is isomorphic to the quotient group \(U(p{\mathcal A} p)/ U_ 0(p{\mathcal A}p)\) of the unitary group \(U(p{\mathcal A}p)\) and the path component \(U_ 0(p{\mathcal A})\) of \(U(p{\mathcal A}p)\) containing \(p\).