Simple Lie groups without the approximation property (Q1950288)

The Fourier algebra \(A(G)\) of a second-countable locally compact group \(G\) consists of the matrix coefficients of its left regular representation. It was proved by \textit{H. Leptin} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. A 266, 1180--1182 (1968; Zbl 0169.46501)] that \(G\) is amenable if and only if \(A(G)\) admits a bounded approximate unit. The approximation property (AP) was introduced in [\textit{U. Haagerup} and \textit{J. Kraus}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 344, No. 2, 667--699 (1994; Zbl 0806.43002)]. A group \(G\) is said to have this property if the constant function 1 can be approximated by a net in \(A(G)\) for the weak-* topology on the space \(M_0A(G)\) of completely bounded multipliers, that is, the Banach space of multipliers of \(A(G)\) that induce completely bounded operators on the von Neumann algebra of \(G\). Discrete groups with the AP are exact. The first example of a group without the AP, namely \(\mathrm{SL}(3,\mathbb{R})\), was exhibited by \textit{V. Lafforgue} and \textit{M. de la Salle} [Duke Math. J. 160, No. 1, 71--116 (2011; Zbl 1267.46072)]. The central result of the paper under review is the fact that \(\mathrm{Sp}(2,\mathbb{R})\) also fails to have the AP. As a corollary of these two examples, it is proved that no connected semisimple Lie group with finite center and real rank at least two has the AP. Since the property passes to lattices, this produces many examples of exact groups without the AP. The proof of the main result relies on a precise estimate on the asymptotic behaviour of \(\mathrm{U}(2)\)-bi-invariant completely bounded multipliers. The same method is used to give a new proof of the aforementioned result of V. Lafforgue and M. de la Salle [loc. cit.]. The paper also features a nice discussion of weak amenability, Gelfand pairs and the AP in this context.