Inductive algebras for trees (Q1764368)

Let \(G\) be a second countable locally compact group and \(\pi:G\to{\mathcal B}({\mathcal H})\) a unitary representation of \(G\) on the Hilbert space \({\mathcal H}\). A commutative (not necessarily self-adjoint and weakly closed) subalgebra \({\mathcal A}\) of \({\mathcal B}({\mathcal H})\) is called \(\pi\)-inductive if \(\pi(x^{-1}){\mathcal A}\pi(x)={\mathcal A}\) for all \(x\in G\). This notion generalizes Mackey's concept of a system of imprimitivity for \(\pi\), which is the main tool for realizing \(\pi\) in spaces of functions. Recently, \(\pi\)-inductive algebras have already been studied by \textit{T. Steger} and \textit{M. K. Vemuri} [Ill. J. Math. (to appear)] for \(\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})\) and the Heisenberg group. In general, there seems to be no precise correspondence between such \(\pi\)-inductive algebras and realizations of \(\pi\). In this paper, inductive algebras are determined for spherical principal series representations \(\pi_s\), \(s\in\mathbb{R}\), of the full automorphism group of a locally finite homogeneous tree \({\mathcal X}\). Denoting by \(\Omega\) the boundary of \({\mathcal X}\), these representations are realized on \({\mathcal H}= L^2(\Omega,\mu)\). The algebra \({\mathcal M}\) of multiplication operators on \({\mathcal H}\) is a maximal \(\pi_s\)-inductive algebra. The main result of the paper says that whenever \(\text{Re}(q^{is})\neq 0\) and \(\text{Im}(q^{is})\neq 0\), where \(q+1\) is the degree of homogeneity of \({\mathcal X}\), then there exists exactly one other maximal \(\pi_s\)-inductive algebra. This is given by \(I^{-1}_s{\mathcal A}I_s\), where \(I_s\) is a unitary intertwining operator between the equivalent representations \(\pi_s\) and \(\pi_{-s}\). The proofs are fairly involved and technical.