Irreducible unitary representations of the group of diffeomorphisms of a non-compact manifold (Q1323264)

For a paracompact connected smooth finite dimensional manifold let \(G = \text{Diff }_ 0(M)\) be the group of all diffeomorphisms with compact supports. In this paper a class of irreducible unitary representations of \(G\) is constructed according to the following guideline: Let \(\widetilde{X} \subset M^{\mathbb{N}}\) be the space of all ordered configurations, i.e. the space of all sequences \((x_ i)_{i\in \mathbb{N}}\) of distinct points in \(M\) without cluster points. The group \({\mathfrak S}_ \infty\) of all permutations with finite support of \(\mathbb{N}\) acts on \(\widetilde{X}\), and \(\widetilde{X} \to \widetilde{X}/ {\mathfrak S}_ \infty\) is like a principal \({\mathfrak S}_ \infty\)-bundle, but there are difficulties with the topology on the quotient space. Then irreducible representations of \({\mathfrak S}_ \infty\) and certain measures on \(\widetilde{X}/{\mathfrak S}_ \infty\) lead to irreducible unitary representations of \(G\) by the method of associated vector bundles (induced representations). The case where \({\mathfrak S}_ \infty\) is replaced by the larger group of all permutations of \(\mathbb{N}\) was treated by \textit{A. M. Vershik, I. M. Gel'fand} and \textit{M. I. Graev} [Russ. Math. Surv. 30, No. 6, 1-50 (1975); translation from Usp. Mat. Nauk 30, No. 6(186), 3-50 (1975; Zbl 0317.58009)]. The actual development in the paper follows somewhat different lines: Let \(\mu\) be a Lebesgue measure on \(M\). A subset of \(M^ \mathbb{N}\) of the form \(E = \prod_ n E_ n\) is called unital if the \(E_ n\) are pairwise disjoint, measurable, and if \(\sum_ n |\mu (E_ n) - 1| < \infty\). Two unital subsets \(E\) and \(F\) are called cofinal if \(\sum_ n \mu(E_ n \ominus F_ n) M < \infty\), where \(\ominus\) denotes the symmetric difference. For fixed \(E\), let \({\mathfrak M} (E)\) be the \(\sigma\)- ring generated by all unital subsets \(F\) which are cofinal to \(E\), and \(\nu_ E (F) = \prod_ n\mu (F_ n)\) extends to a measure on \({\mathfrak M}(E)\) which carried by \(\widetilde X\) and which is \(\mathfrak {S}_ \infty\)-invariant. Now consider an irreducible unitary representation \(\pi : {\mathfrak S}_ \infty \to {\mathcal U} (V(\pi))\), a Lebesgue measure \(\mu\) on \(M\), and a unital subset \(E\). To this data a representation \(G \to {\mathcal B}(\mathcal H(\pi,\mu,E))\) is associated, where \({\mathcal H}(\pi, \mu, E)\) is the Hilbert space of all \({\mathfrak S}_ \infty\)-equivariant \(L^ 2(\nu_ E)\)-mappings \(\widetilde{X} \to V(\pi)\), and where the action of \(G\) is given by \(g.f = (f \circ g^{-1}). \rho(g^{-1})^{1/2}\); here \(\rho(g)\) is the Radon-Nikodym derivative of \(g.\nu_ E\) with respect to \(\nu_ E\). The two main results of the paper state: These representations \(\mathcal H(\pi,\mu,E)\) are all irreducible. Two representations \({\mathcal H}(\pi_ i, \mu, e_ i)\) for \(i = 1,2\) are equivalent if and only if there is an infinite permutation \(a\) of \(\mathbb{N}\) which intertwines the representations \(\pi_ 1\) and \(\pi_ 2\) of the group \({\mathfrak S}_ \infty\) of all finite permutations and is such that \(E_ 1\) and \(E_ 2.a\) are cofinal. The proof of the second result is quite intricate.