Trivial endomorphisms of the Calkin algebra (Q2143260)

This paper is focused on the interactions between set theory and operator algebras, and on how different axioms in set theory have consequences on the structure of the endomorphisms's group of the Calkin algebra. The study of automorphisms's group of massive quotient structures was initiated by the work of \textit{W. Rudin} [Duke Math. J. 23, 409--419 (1956; Zbl 0073.39602)], \textit{S. Shelah} [Proper and improper forcing. 2nd edition. Reprint of the 1998 original published by Springer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Urbana, IL: Association for Symbolic Logic (ASL) (2016; Zbl 1365.03012)], and \textit{B. Velickovic} [Topology Appl. 49, No. 1, 1--13 (1993; Zbl 0785.03033)] among others when focusing on the Boolean algebra \(\mathcal P(\omega)/\mathrm{Fin}\), of which the Calkin algebra is sometimes considered the `noncommutative analogue', and since then branched in various directions (see e.g. [\textit{I. Farah}, Combinatorial set theory of \(C^*\)-algebras. Cham: Springer (2019; Zbl 1450.46001)], or the recent survey of the author, Farah, Ghasemi, and the reviewer). If \(H\) is a separable Hilbert space one constructs the Calkin algebra \(\mathcal Q(H)\) as the quotient of the algebra of all bounded linear operators on \(H\), \(\mathcal B(H)\) by the ideal of compact operators, \(\mathcal K(H)\). This algebra has been the focus of some of the most important recent research in the area of applications of set theory to operator algebras. \textit{I. Farah}'s pioneering work [Ann. Math. (2) 173, No. 2, 619--661 (2011; Zbl 1250.03094)] together with the work of \textit{N. C. Phillips} and \textit{N. Weaver} [Duke Math. J. 139, No. 1, 185--202 (2007; Zbl 1220.46040)] showed that the automorphism of \(\mathcal Q(H)\) depends on the axioms in place: if the continuum hypothesis CH is assumed there are many `nontrivial' automorphisms, and in particular outer ones, while the open colouring axiom OCA gives `rigidity', and shows that all automorphisms of \(\mathcal Q(H)\) are inner. (The open colouring axiom is an alternative to the continuum hypothesis which can be stated as a dichotomy for open graphs on the reals \(\mathbb R\), introduced by \textit{U. Abraham} et al. [Ann. Pure Appl. Logic 29, 123--206 (1985; Zbl 0585.03019)] and used here in the version of \textit{S. Todorčević} [Partition problems in topology. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (1989; Zbl 0659.54001)].) In this paper, the author studies the endomorphisms' group of \(\mathcal Q(H)\). A technical definition: an endomorphism \(\phi: \mathcal Q(H)\to\mathcal Q(H)\) is trivial is there is a unitary \(u\in\mathcal Q(H)\) and a strongly continuous endomorphism \(\Phi:\mathcal B(H)\to\mathcal B(H)\) making the following diagram commute (here \(\pi:\mathcal B(H)\to\mathcal Q(H)\) denotes the canonical quotient map): \[ \begin{tikzcd} \mathcal B(H) \arrow[r, "\Phi"] \arrow[d, "\pi" '] & \mathcal B(H) \arrow[d, "\pi"] \\ \mathcal Q(H) \arrow[r, "Ad(u)\circ\phi"] & \mathcal Q(H) \end{tikzcd} \] The paper's main result gives that under the axiom OCA all endomorphisms of \(\mathcal Q(H)\) are trivial. (That under CH one can construct many nontrivial endomorphisms follows from Phillips and Weaver's result. [loc. cit.]) The techniques used in the paper resemble very closely the ones used in [\textit{I. Farah}, Ann. Math. (2) 173, No. 2, 619--661 (2011; Zbl 1250.03094)] and in the subsequent work in the area. Shortly, the idea is to obtain nicer and nicer lifting and the amalgamating them together with the aid of the open colouring axiom. This is the so far only way to handle rigidity phaenomena for massive quotient structures in presence of forcing axioms. The proof of the main result is divided is two parts. First, the author shows that under OCA all endomorphisms of OCA are locally trivial (Theorem 4.7), and then he shows that all locally trivial endomorphisms must be trivial, again under OCA (Theorem 4.1).