Equivariant Kasparov theory and generalized homomorphisms (Q1840670)

There exists a well known description of Kasparov's bivariant K-functor on the category of \(C^*\)-algebras in terms of quasihomomorphisms, which is due to Cuntz. For any \(C^*\)-algebra \(A\) let \[ 0\to qA\to A*A @>id*id>> A\to 0 \] be the universal twofold-split extension, where \(A*A\) denotes the \(C^*\)-algebra free product of \(A\) with itself. Then there is a natural isomorphism \[ KK(-,-)\simeq \bigl[q(-) \otimes{\mathcal K}({\mathcal H}), q(-)\otimes {\mathcal K}({\mathcal H}) \bigr] \] of bifunctors where \({\mathcal K}({\mathcal H})\) is the algebra of compact operators and \([-,-]\) denotes the set of continuous homotopy classes of \(C^*\)-algebra homomorphisms. Besides a description of the Kasparov product as composition of homomorphisms this result allows to characterize Kasparov's KK-theory as the universal stable and split exact homotopy bifunctor on the category of separable \(C^*\)-algebras. While a similar characterization of equivariant KK-theory was recently given by Thomsen, an approach to equivariant KK-theory in terms of homomorphisms of universal algebras was still missing. This is exactly what is provided by the paper under review. Every attempt to generalize the Cuntz picture directly faces two difficulties. If \(G\) is a locally compact group then it is in general neither possible to represent the equivariant KK-groups \(KK_G(A,B)\) by Kasparov-bimodules \(({\mathcal E}, \rho,F)\), for which \({\mathcal E}\) embeds equivariantly into the standard bimodule \(L^2(G,B)^\infty\), nor to choose the operator \(F\) strictly \(G\)-invariant. Thus one cannot reduce to bimodules of normal form. These problems are overcome by the author by using a kind of ``splitting principle''. Let \({\mathcal H}': =\oplus L^2(G)\) be a countable direct sum of copies of the regular representation of \(G\). The algebra \({\mathcal K}({\mathcal H}')\) becomes then a \(G-C^*\)-algebra with ``free'' \(G\)-action. It is shown that every \(G-C^*\)-algebra \(A\) is canonically \(KK_G\)-equivalent to the algebra \(A\otimes{\mathcal K}({\mathcal H}') \) equipped with the diagonal action and that every class in \(KK_G(A \otimes {\mathcal K}({\mathcal H}')\), \(B\otimes {\mathcal K}({\mathcal H}'))\) can be represented by bimodules in standard form (i.e., \({\mathcal E}=L^2(G,B)^\infty\), \(F=F^*\), \(F^2=1\), \(G\cdot F=F)\) as in ordinary Kasparov theory. As a consequence the author obtains an isomorphism of bifunctors \[ KK_G(-,-) \simeq\biggl[ q\bigl(-\otimes {\mathcal K}({\mathcal H}') \bigr)\otimes {\mathcal K}({\mathcal H}'), q\bigl( -\otimes {\mathcal K} ({\mathcal H}')\bigr)\otimes {\mathcal K}({\mathcal H}') \biggr]_G \] describing equivariant \(KK\)-theory in terms of generalized homomorphisms. This provides another proof of the characterization of equivariant \(KK\)-theory as the universal stable and split exact homotopy bifunctor on the category of separable \(G-C^*\)-algebras. Finally the case of \(\mathbb{Z}/2 \mathbb{Z}\)-graded algebras is treated and some simplifications of the previous constructions in the case of proper \(G-C^*\)-algebras are discussed.