Uniform Roe algebras of uniformly locally finite metric spaces are rigid (Q2097033)

A metric space \((X, \mathrm{d})\) is uniformly locally finite if \(\sup_{x \in X} |\mathrm{B}_r(x)| < \infty\) for all positive numbers \(r\). To such a metric space, one can associate its uniform Roe algebra \(\mathrm{C}^*_{\mathrm{u}}(X)\), which is defined as the C*-algebra closure of all bounded operators on \(\ell^2(X)\) with finite propagation, that is, bounded operators \(T\) for which there is \(R > 0\) such that \(\langle T \delta_x, \delta_y \rangle = 0\) if \(\mathrm{d}(x,y) > R\). The article under review studies rigidity properties of uniform Roe algebras. Its main result is stated in Theorems~1.2 and~1.4, solving a problem raised by \textit{M.~Gromov} [Geometric group theory. Volume~2: Asymptotic invariants of infinite groups. Proceedings of the symposium held at the Sussex University, Brighton, July 14-19, 1991. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1993; Zbl 0841.20039); page~263]: two uniformly locally finite metric spaces \(X\) and \(Y\) are coarsely equivalent if and only if their uniform Roe algebras are Morita equivalent. In particular, the existence of an isomorphism \(\mathrm{C}^*_{\mathrm{u}}(X) \cong \mathrm{C}^*_{\mathrm{u}}(Y)\) implies that \(X\) and \(Y\) are coarsely equivalent. For completeness, we record that two uniformly locally finite metric spaces \((X, \mathrm{d}_X)\) and \((Y, \mathrm{d}_Y)\) are coarsely equivalent by definition if there are maps \(f \colon X \to Y\) and \(g \colon Y \to X\) such that two kinds of conditions hold: first, for all \(r > 0\) there is \(s > 0\) such that \(\mathrm{d}_X(x,x') \leq r\) implies \(\mathrm{d}_Y(f(x), f(x')) \leq s\) and \(\mathrm{d}_Y(y,y') \leq r\) implies \(\mathrm{d}_X(g(y), g(y')) \leq s\) and, second, there is \(R > 0\) such that \(X = \mathrm{B}_R(g(Y))\) and \(Y = \mathrm{B}_R(f(X))\). The beautifully written introduction explains the key novelty of the article, which is the proof and application of a quantitative, atomic version of Lyapunov's convexity theorem, asserting that the range of every finite dimensional, non-atomic vector measure is closed and convex. There are two different proofs offered for the new result. To the reader's benefit, the authors give a full proof of the special case of their main result which is formulated as Theorem~1.2. Namely, they show in Section 3 that isomorphism of uniform Roe algebras implies coarse equivalence of the underlying uniformly locally finite metric spaces. Modulo one important approximation theorem, which is cited only, this proof provides a transparent and conceptual account of the main ideas in just three pages. Besides giving a proof of the more general form of their main result stated in Theorem~1.4, in subsequent sections the authors also apply their ideas to different variations of the Roe algebras considered there, notably to Banach algebra versions of such, to stable Roe algebras and to Roe algebras associated with non-metrisable coarse spaces. Some proofs in these parts are only sketched as their reasoning resembles the arguments presented in earlier parts of the paper. However, this does not compromise their readability. One particularly noteworthy consequence of the authors' work is presented as Corollary~1.3, saying that two finitely generated groups \(\Gamma\) and \(\Lambda\) with their word metrics are bi-Lipschitz equivalent if and only if the reduced crossed product C*-algebras \(\ell^\infty(\Gamma) \rtimes_{\mathrm{red}} \Gamma\) and \(\ell^\infty(\Lambda) \rtimes_{\mathrm{red}} \Lambda\) are isomorphic. The article is carefully written and makes clear references to previous results and to open problems related to its own contribution. This makes it also an excellent starting point for a reader who is unfamiliar with rigidity of Roe algebras and seeks a suitable entry point to the literature.