Metrics on group \(C^{*}\)-algebras and a non-commutative Arzelà-Ascoli theorem (Q1882961)

Let \(G\) be a discrete group with a proper length function \(l\). The Dirac operator \(D\) on \(l^2(G)\) can be defined by \((D\xi)(g)=l(g)\xi(g)\), \(\xi\in l^2(G)\). Put \(\Delta^k_D=[D,[\dots[D,\lambda(a)]\dots]]\), where \(a\in\mathbb C G\), \(\lambda\) denotes the regular representation of \(G\) on \(l^2(G)\) and \(k\) is the number of commutators. Then \(L^k_D(a)=\| \Delta^k_D(\lambda(a))\| \) is a family of seminorms on \(C^*_r(G)\). The main result of the present paper is that if \(G\) is of rapid decay, then the metric generated by \(L^k_D\) on the state space \(S(C^*_r(G))\) of \(C^*_r(G)\) is bounded and is compatible with the \(w^*\)-topology for sufficiently great \(k\). The authors also describe a non-commutative version of the Arzelà--Ascoli theorem.