On the property $IR$ of Friis and Rørdam (Q2314364)

Let \(A\) be a unital \(C^*\)-algebra, and define \(R(A)\) by \(a\in R(A)\subset A\) if there is no ideal \(I\) such that \(\pi(a)\) is one-sided invertible but not invertible, where \(\pi:A\to A/I\) is the quotient map. A \(C^*\)-algebra satisfies \(IR\) if \(R(A)\) lies in the norm closure of the invertible elements of \(A\). The class \(IR\) was introduced by \textit{P. Friis} and \textit{M. Rørdam} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 479, 121--131 (1996; Zbl 0859.47018)] in relation to the problem of approximating pairs of almost commuting selfadjoints by exactly commuting pairs. The paper under review sudies the class of \(C^*\)-algebras with \(IR\). Among other permanence properties, it is shown that, if an ideal \(I\subset A\) and the quotient \(A/I\) satisfy \(IR\) and if invertibles in \(A/I\) lift to invertibles in \(A\), then \(A\) satisfies \(IR\). It is also shown that the \(C^*\)-algebras with \(IR\) have a certain cancellation property for projections. This leads to the stable \(IR\) property: \(A\) satisfies the stable \(IR\) property if the matrix algebras \(M_n(A)\) satisfy \(IR\) for any \(n\in\mathbb N\). The class of stable \(IR\) \(C^*\)-algebras is studied, and its relations to stable rank one \(C^*\)-algebras are discussed.