On the set of topologically invariant means on the von Neumann algebra \(VN(G)\) (Q1909537)

Let \(VN(G)\) be the von Neumann algebra generated by the left regular representation of a locally compact group \(G\) and \(TIM (\widehat G)\) the set of topologically invariant means on \(VN(G)\). We denote by \(b(G)\) the smallest cardinality of an open basis at the unit element \(e\) of \(G\) and by \(\mu\) the first ordinal with \(|\mu |= b(G)\). Let \(X = \{\alpha; \alpha < \mu\}\) and \[ {\mathcal F} (X) = \bigl\{ \varphi \in l^\infty (X)^*; |\varphi |= \varphi ({\mathbf 1}) = 1 \text{ and } \varphi (f) = 0 \text{ if } f \in l^\infty (X) \text{ and } \lim_{\alpha \in X} f(\alpha) = 0 \bigr\}. \] We show that if \(G\) is nondiscrete, then there exists a one-one map \[ W : l^\infty (X)^* \to 2^{VN (G)^*} \backslash \{\varnothing\} \] such that \(W ({\mathcal F} (X)) \subseteq 2^{TIM (\widehat G)}\). Under the same assumption, we prove the equality \(|TIM (\widehat G) |= 2^{2^{b (G)}}\). Attempting to obtain these results, we find a very interesting property concerning the local structure of \(G\) at \(e\): if \(G\) is \(\sigma\)-compact and nonmetrizable, then there is a decreasing net \((N_\alpha)_{\alpha \leq \mu}\) of normal subgroups of \(G\) such that \(N_0 = G\), \(N_\mu = \{e\}\) and \(b(N_\alpha) = b(G)\) for all \(\alpha < \mu\); \(N_\alpha\) is compact if \(\alpha > 0\); \(N_\alpha/N_{\alpha + 1}\) is metrizable but \(N_{\alpha + 1} \neq N_\alpha\) for \(\alpha < \mu\); and \(N_\gamma = \cap_{\alpha < \gamma} N_\alpha\) for each limit ordinal \(\gamma \leq \mu\).