Noncommutative Riemann integration and Novikov-Shubin invariants for open manifolds (Q1589981)

After a comprehensive account and motivation in Section 1, the paper at first develops an analog of the classical abstract Riemann integration, based on a topological space and a Radon measure [see, e.g. \textit{M. Talagrand}, Ann. Inst. Fourier 32, No. 1, 33-39 (1982; Zbl 0478.28003) and the Appendix], in the context of a \(C^*\)-algebra \(\mathcal A\) on a Hilbert space \(\mathcal H\) and a semicontinuous semifinite trace \(\tau\) of \(\mathcal A\). Section 2 studies the \(\mathcal R\)-closure of \(\mathcal A\), i.e., the set \({\mathcal A}^{\mathcal R}\) of bounded Riemann measurable elements on \(\mathcal H\) w.r.t. \(\tau\), defined as the linear span of separating elements for Dedekind-like cuts in \({\mathcal A}_{sa}\). \(\mathcal A\) is a \(C^*\)-algebra, \(\tau\) extends to it retaining its properties (and symbol) and \({\mathcal A}^{\mathcal R}\) is \(\mathcal R\)-closed. In the spirit of Borel algebras of \textit{E. Christensen} [Math. Scandinav. 31, 171-190 (1972; Zbl 0252.46064)], Section 3 introduces the set \(\overline{{\mathcal A}^{\mathcal R}}\) of unbounded Riemann measurable elements as closed operators affiliated to \({\mathcal A}^{{\mathcal R}''}\) which may be approximated in measure by elements of \({\mathcal A}^{\mathcal R}\). Endowed with equality \(\tau\)-a.e., \(\overline{{\mathcal A}^{\mathcal R}}\) is a *-bimodule over \({\mathcal A}^{\mathcal R}\), i.e., the bimodule properties w.r.t. strong sense operations hold a.e., and \(\tau\) extends to \(\overline{{\mathcal A}^{\mathcal R}}\) as a bimodule trace giving the noncommutative unbounded Riemann integral. Suitably measurable unbounded functions of \(a\in{\mathcal A}^{\mathcal R}_{sa}\) belong to \(\overline{{\mathcal A}^{\mathcal R}}\). In Section 4 the authors' construction of singular (in particular, type II\(_1\)) traces on measurable elements for semifinite von Neumann algebras [see the authors, Operator algebras and quantum field theory, Roma 1996, 440-456 (1997; Zbl 0921.46082)] is carried over to the present \(({\mathcal A},\tau)\) framework via the GNS construction and (unbounded) Riemann integration. Section 5 (relying on the authors' preprints) uses the previous theory to define Novikov-Shubin numbers for a certain class of amenable open Riemann manifolds \(M\) with an exhaustion \(K\) by increasing compacts [see \textit{J. Roe}, J. Differential Geometry, 27, 87-113 (1988; Zbl 0657.58041)]) and show their invariance under quasi-isometries of \(M\). The asymptotic spectral dimension of \((M,K,\Delta_p)\), \(\Delta_p\) being the Laplacian on \(p\)-forms, coincides with the Novikov-Shubin number \(\alpha_p(M,K)\). If \(\alpha_p\in(0,\infty)\), \(\Delta_p^{-\alpha_p/2}\) gives rise to a singular trace which is finite nonzero on \(\Delta_p^{-\alpha_p/2}\), that is, \(\alpha_p\) behaves like dimension in noncommutative geometry.