Centers of algebras associated to higher-rank graphs. (Q2256077)

The Kumjian-Pask algebras are path algebras associated to higher-rank algebras. For a positive integer \(k\), we consider the additive semigroup \(\mathbb N^k\) as a category with one object and composition given by addition. Following Kumjian and Pask, a graph of rank \(k\) is a countable category \((\Lambda_0,\Lambda,r,s)\) together with a functor \(d\colon\Lambda\to\mathbb N^k\), called the degree map, satisfying the following factorization property: if \(\lambda\in\Lambda\) and \(d(\lambda)=m+n\) for some \(m,n\in\mathbb N^k\), then there are unique \(\mu,\nu\in\Lambda\) such that \(d(\mu)=m\), \(d(\nu)=n\), and \(\lambda=\mu\nu\). For a directed graph \(E=(E_0,E_1,r,s)\), define the path category \(P(E)\) as that whose object set is \(E_0\), and the morphisms in \(P(E)\) from \(v\in E_0\) to \(w\in E_0\) are finite paths \(\mu\) with \(s(\mu)=v\) and \(r(\mu)=w\); composition is defined by concatenation, and the identity morphisms obtained by viewing the vertices as paths of length \(0\). With the degree functor \(d\colon\mu\mapsto|\mu|\), the path category \((P(E),d)\) is a 1-graph. Associated to any higher-rank graph \(\Lambda\) and to a base ring of scalars \(R\) there is an algebra denoted \(KP_R(\Lambda)\) and called the Kumjian-Pask \(R\)-algebra associated to \(\Lambda\). The class of Kumjian-Pask algebras is of course larger than the class of Leavitt path algebras. The authors study the center of these algebras and characterize those which are commutative.