Groups associated to II\(_{1}\)-factors (Q1932193)

Let \(N\) be a separable embeddable II\(_1\)-factor, i.e., such that there exists an embedding \(N\hookrightarrow R^\omega\), where \(R\) is the hyperfinite II\(_1\)-factor, \(\omega\in\beta\mathbb N\setminus\mathbb N\) is a free ultrafilter, and \(R^\omega\) is the corresponding ultrapower of \(R\). \textit{N. P. Brown} started in [Adv. Math. 227, No. 4, 1665--1699 (2011; Zbl 1229.46041)] a study of the space \(\mathbb H\)om\((N,R^\omega)\) of classes of unital \(*\)-homomorphisms \(N\to R^\omega\) modulo unitary equivalence. This space becomes a dynamical system under the action of the outer automorphism group of \(N\). Several topological and convexity properties of the dynamical system are related to properties of the factor \(N\). Convexity in \(\mathbb H\)om\((N,R^\omega)\) was considered via the idea of a convex-like structure, as the space is not obviously embedded in any linear space. In the paper under review, the authors consider a suggestion by I. Farah to produce a vector space embedding. To achieve that goal, they study a variation of the aforementioned space. Namely, given II\(_1\)-factors \(N,M\) they consider the compact ideal \(M^\infty\subset B(H)\bar\otimes M\) generated by the finite projections, and then the space \(\mathbb H\)om\((N,M^\infty)\) of classes of \(*\)-homomorphisms \(N\to M^\infty\) modulo inner automorphisms of \(B(H)\bar\otimes M\). Using direct sums à la \(K\)-theory, one can define a continuous abelian semigroup structure on \(\mathbb H\)om\((N,M^\infty)\). The authors prove that this semigroup has cancellation, and so it embeds in its Grothendieck group \(\mathcal G(N,M)\). The groups Out\((N)\) and Out\((B(H)\bar\otimes M)\) have natural actions by pre- and post-multiplication, and these actions are shown to be continuous. Moreover, there is a natural embedding \(\mathbb H\)om\((N,M^\omega)\hookrightarrow\mathbb H\)om\((N,(M^\omega)^\infty)\) by looking at \(M\) as the ``\(1,1\)'' entry in \(B(H)\bar\otimes M\). The rest of the paper is devoted to the case where \(X\) is a McDuff II\(_1\)-factor; these are the II\(_1\)-factors with the property that \(X\simeq X\bar\otimes R\). Such factors have full fundamental group, i.e., \(\mathcal F(X)=\mathbb R_+\). The authors construct an action of \(\mathbb R_+=\mathcal F(X^\omega)\) on \(\mathbb H\)om\((N,(X^\omega)^\infty)\) that extends to all of \(\mathbb R\), yielding a Banach space structure on \(\mathcal G(N,X^\omega)\). In particular, when \(N\subset R^\omega\) is non-hyperfinite and separable, then the non-second countable, complete metric space \(\mathbb H\)om\((N,R^\omega)\) is affinely and isometrically isomorphic to a closed convex subset of a Banach space.