Factorization in subdiagonal algebras (Q1273947)

Let \( \Phi \) be a faithful normal conditional expectation from a \( \sigma \)-finite von Neumann algebra \( M \) onto \( {\mathcal D}\subset M \). Following \textit{W. B. Arveson} [Am. J. Math. 89, 578-642 (1967; Zbl 0183.42501)], a (\( \sigma \)-weakly closed) subalgebra \( {\mathfrak A}\subset M \) is called subdiagonal with respect to \( \Phi \), having diagonal \( \mathcal D \), if 1) \( {\mathfrak A\cap\mathfrak A^*}=\mathcal D \), 2) \( \Phi \) is multiplicative on \( \mathfrak A \), 3) \( \mathfrak A+\mathfrak A^* \) is \( \sigma \)-weakly dense in \( M \). Then a maximal, relative to inclusion, subdiagonal \( \mathfrak A \) with respect to \( \Phi \) is characterized, in particular, as \( \{X\in M:\Phi(XB)=0, \forall B\in {\mathfrak A}_0\}=\{X\in M:\Phi(BX)=0, \forall B\in{\mathfrak A_0}\} \) where \( {\mathfrak A}_0=\{A\in{\mathfrak A}:\Phi(A)=0\} \). For an invertible \( S\in M \) and a maximal subdiagonal \( \mathfrak A \), there exists an isometry \( W\in M \) such that \( S^{-1}W,W^*S\in \mathfrak A \), whereas \( S \) factors as \( UA \) with a unitary \( U\in M \) and \( A,A^{-1}\in {\mathfrak A} \iff S{\mathfrak A}S^{-1} \) is also maximal with respect to some conditional expectation. Such a factorization holds for any invertible \( S \), i.e. a maximal \( \mathfrak A \) has the \textit{universal factorization property} \( \iff\mathfrak A_0 \) contains no non-zero idempotents \( \iff {\mathbb C}\mathbf 1 + \mathfrak A_0\) is finite. Several aspects of related investigations are noted or employed c.f., e.g., [\textit{D. R. Larson}, Ann. Math., II. Ser. 121, 409-427 (1985; Zbl 0606.47045), \textit{D. R. Pitts}, J. Funct. Anal. 79, No.~1, 57-90 (1988; Zbl 0676.47024), and \textit{B.~Solel}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 287, 799-817 (1985; Zbl 0555.46032)].