A Haagerup inequality for \(\widetilde A_1\times\widetilde A_1\) and \(\widetilde A_2\) buildings (Q1270035)

The well-known Haagerup inequality \[ \| f * g \|_2 \leq (n+1)\| f \|_2 \| g \|_2, \] if \(g\) is supported in words of length \(n\) is an important ingredient in the proof of the Novikov conjecture for word hyperbolic groups [\textit{A. Connes} and \textit{H. Moscovici}, Topology 29, 345--348 (1990; Zbl 0759.58047), see also \textit{A. Connes}, Noncommutative geometry, Chapter III.5 New York (1994; Zbl 0818.46076)]. It can be interpreted as some inequality on convolution \(\ell_2\)-norms of \(\ell_1\)-functions acting on \(\ell_2\) over free groups. For the free group \(\Gamma\) with the set \(N\) of generators acting simply and transitively on its Cayley graph with respect to the generating set \(N\). Trees are \(\widetilde{A}_1\) buildings. Let \(\Delta\) denote either the \(\widetilde{A}_1 \times \widetilde{A}_1\) or \(\widetilde{A}_2\) building. The authors define the notion of shape \(\sigma(u,v) \in {\mathbb N} \times {\mathbb N}\) between two vertices \(u,v \in \mathcal{V}_\Delta\). Consider the subgroup \(\Aut_S(\Delta)= \{ c \in \Aut(\Delta)\); \(\sigma(cu,cv)=\sigma(u,v)\), \(\forall u,v\in \mathcal{V}_\Delta \}\) of index 1 or 2 in \(\Aut(\Delta)\), and a function on two integral variables \[ p(m,n) := \begin{cases} (m+1)(n+1) & \text{in the } \widetilde{A}_1 \times \widetilde{A}_1 \text{ case}\\ \frac{1}{2}(m+1)(n+1)\sqrt{\max(m,n)+1} & \text{in the } \widetilde{A}_2 \text{ case.} \end{cases} \] If \(\Gamma\) is a subgroup acting freely on the vertices of \(\Delta\), define a shape function \(\sigma\) on \(\Gamma\) by \(\sigma(c) := \sigma(v_0,cv_0),\) where \(v_0 \) is the identity element in \(\Gamma\). The main result of the paper is the following generalized Haagerup inequality (Theorems 1.1 and 1.9): If \(g \in {\mathbb C}[\Gamma]\) is an element of the group algebra, supported on words of shape \((m,n)\) and if \(f \in \ell_2(\Gamma)\), then \[ \| f * g \|_2 \leq p(m,n) \| f\|_2 \| g \|_2. \] \textit{A. Valette} [Ann. Inst. Fourier 47, 1195--1208 (1997; Zbl 0886.51003)] conjectured that over an arbitrary subgroup acting properly and cocompactly on either a Riemannian symmetric space or an affine building there are some analogous versions of the Haagerup inequality.