Jones index theory for Hilbert \(C^*\)-bimodules and its equivalence with conjugation theory (Q1888350)

A Hilbert \(C^*\)-bimodule \(X\) over pairs of \(C^*\)-algebras \(A,B\) is called bi-Hilbertian if it is both a right and a left Hilbert \(C^*\)-bimodule in such a way that the two Banach space norms arising from the two inner products are equivalent. A bi-Hilbertian \(C^*\)-bimodule \(X\) is said to be of finite right (left) numerical index if a suitable Pimsner--Popa type inequality relating the two Banach space norms holds; cf. \textit{M. V. Pimsner} [Am. Math. Soc. Fields Inst. Commun. 12, 189--212 (1997; Zbl 0871.46028)] and \textit{M. V. Pimsner} and \textit{S. Popa} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér., IV.~Sér. 19, No.~1, 57--106 (1986; Zbl 0646.46057)] (by a bimodule of finite numerical index, we mean a bi-Hilbertian \(C^*\)-bimodule which is of both finite right and left numerical index). Then a right (left) index element of \(X\) is constructed as a positive central element of the enveloping von Neumann algebras \(A^{\prime\prime}\) (\(B^{\prime\prime}\)), and \(X\) is called of finite right (left) index if the right (left) index element of \(X\) lies in the multiplier algebra of \(A\) (\(B\)) and therefore in its center. This nice paper is devoted to introduce a Jones index theory for general Hilbert bimodules over pairs of \(C^*\)-algebras and to establish its equivalence with the conjugation theory. Indeed, the authors perform the analogue of Jones's basic construction and prove that a bi-Hilbertian \(C^*\)-bimodule has finite Jones index in their sense if and only if it has a Longo--Roberts conjugate object in the \(2-C^*\)-category of right Hilbert \(C^*\)-bimodules with non-degenerate left actions (see \textit{R. Longo} and \textit{J. E. Roberts} [K-Theory 11, No.~2, 103--159 (1997; Zbl 0874.18005)] for a discussion on conjugation in tensor \(C^*\)-categories and its relation to the Jones index theory for subfactors; cf. \textit{V. Jones} [Invent. Math. 72, 1--25 (1983; Zbl 0508.46040)]). They show that the \(C^*\)-algebra of bimodule mappings with a right adjoint is a continuous field of finite-dimensional \(C^*\)-algebras over a compact Hausdorff space whose fiber dimensions are bounded above by the index. They also analyse the behaviour of bi-Hilbertian bimodules under taking their tensor products by establishing that the tensor product of two bi-Hilbertian bimodules of finite (numerical) index is of finite (numerical) index.