Full factors and co-amenable inclusions (Q2192720)

Let \(N\subset M\) be an inclusion of von Neumann algebras. Such an inclusion is said to be co-amenable if there exists a conditional expectation \(E: N'\to M'\), [\textit{S. Popa}, ``Correspondences'', INCREST Preprint (1986)]. This is a generalisation of the notion of co-amenability in the context of groups, where an inclusion \(H\leq G\) is called co-amenable when there exists a \(G\)-invariant mean on \(\ell_\infty(G/H)\). In fact, such an inclusion is co-amenable if and only if the corresponding inclusion of the group von Neumann algebras \(L(H)\subset L(G)\) is co-amenable, [\textit{N. Monod} and \textit{S. Popa}, C. R. Math. Acad. Sci., Soc. R. Can. 25, No. 3, 82--87 (2003; Zbl 1040.43001)]. A separable factor \(M\) is said to be full if Inn\((M)\), the group of all its inner automorphisms, is closed in Aut\((M)\). In [loc. cit.], Popa asked the following question: If \(M\) is a full II\(_1\) factor and \(N\subset M\) is a co-amenable subfactor, is it true that \(N\) is also full? A complete solution to this problem is provided in this paper, where even the II\(_1\)-hypothesis is dropped. More precisely, it is shown that if \(M\) is full, \(N\subset M\) is co-amenable, and there is a (faithful, normal) conditional expectation \(E: M\to N\). Then \(N\) is full. The authors also generalise a recent result of \textit{R. Tomatsu} [``Centrally free actions of amenable \(C^*\)-tensor categories on von Neumann algebras'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1812.04222}]. They show that if a compact group \(G\) acts on a separable full factor \(M\) via outer automorphisms, then the action is automatically minimal and both \(M^G\), \(M\rtimes G\) are full factors.