Twisted Steinberg algebras (Q2229973)

\textit{J. Renault} [A groupoid approach to C*-algebras. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer-Verlag (1980; Zbl 0433.46049)] introduced the notion of groupoid \(C^*\)-algebra associated to a (topological) groupoid, which has been a central topic in the area since then. Particularly, he introduced twists on groupoid \(C^*\)-algebras, a construction that revealed to be relevant in connection with the UCT problem for \(C^*\)-algebras, among others (see, e.g., [\textit{J. Renault}, Ir. Math. Soc. Bull. 61, 29--63 (2008; Zbl 1175.46050); \textit{J.-L. Tu}, \(K\)-Theory 17, No. 3, 215--264 (1999; Zbl 0939.19001); \textit{S. Barlak} and \textit{X. Li}, Adv. Math. 316, 748--769 (2017; Zbl 1382.46048)]). From the purely algebraic point of view a large amount of work was done, related to \underline{group} algebras; this includes the case of twisted group rings (see Passman's monograph ``The algebraic structure of group rings'' for a thorough account on this topic). But pure algebraic versions of \underline{groupoid} \(C^*\)-algebras do not appear until 2010. To be concrete, Steinberg algebras, as pure algebraic siblings of groupoid \(C^*\)-algebras, were introduced independently in [\textit{B. Steinberg}, Adv. Math. 223, No. 2, 689--727 (2010; Zbl 1188.22003)] and [\textit{L. O. Clark} et al., Semigroup Forum 89, No. 3, 501--517 (2014; Zbl 1323.46033)], and quickly became a topic of interest for the possibility of connecting algebraic and analytic properties of algebras under the same umbrella. In the paper under review, the authors initiate the study of twisted Steinberg algebras, aiming to complete the map of connections between algebraic and analytic properties, initiated with Steinberg algebras, in a broader context. One of the main points of their approach is to be inspired by the analytic construction, so that they construct a theory somehow parallel to that of twisted groupoid \(C^*\)-algebras; this is reflected in some technical decisions they take, which clearly enriches the final product. In this sense, they make a double approach: on one side, they look at the ``classical'' 2-cocycle approach [\textit{J. Renault}, A groupoid approach to C*-algebras. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer-Verlag (1980; Zbl 0433.46049)], which is the one appearing in the purely algebraic approach (see, e.g., Chapter 1 in Passman's monograph); on the other side, they recover the notion of twisted groupoid [\textit{A. Kumjian}, Can. J. Math. 38, 969--1008 (1986; Zbl 0627.46071)], which allows to extend the construction to broader contexts. Most of the effort in this paper is devoted to fix precise definitions of the Steinberg algebras associated to both models of twisting, which implies carefully working out some essential subtleties; they do this in Sections 3 and 4. Particularly, at the end of Section 4, they state the connection between both notions for twisted groupoids with global sections; also, they establish the connection with groupoid cohomology. They present various classes of relevant examples in Section 5. In Section 6, they characterize simplicity for twisted Steinberg algebras over fields, which requires to state a Cuntz-Krieger uniqueness theorem. Finally, in Section 7, they fix a natural graded structure of twisted Steinberg algebras, and a graded uniqueness theorem which could allow to deal with the ideal structure of these algebras.