Factorization problems in the invertible group of a homogeneous \(\mathbf C^*\)-algebra (Q2365018)

Let \(X\) be a compact metric space of dimension \(d\). In previous work, we have shown that for all sufficiently large \(n\), every element of the identity component \(U_0(C(X)\otimes M_n)\) of the unitary group \(U(C(X)\otimes M_n)\) is a product of at most 4 exponentials of skewadjoint elements. On the other hand, if \(X\) is a manifold then some elements of \(U_0(C(X)\otimes M_n)\) require at least about \(d/n^2\). Similar qualitative behavior (with different bounds: 5 and \(d/(2n^2))\) holds for the problem of factoring elements of the identity component \(\text{inv}_0(C(X)\otimes M_n)\) of the invertible group as products of exponentials of arbitrary elements of the algebra. In this paper, we identify the sets of finite products of 10 other types of elements of \(\text{inv}_0 (C(X)\otimes M_n)\), and we show that the minimum lengths of factorizations have the same qualitative behavior as the two exponential factorization problems above (after a suitable minor modification in 3 of the 10 cases). We obtain upper bounds for large \(n\) that range from 5 to 22, and lower bounds approximately of the form \(rd/n^2\) with \(r\) ranging from \(1/16\) to 2. The classes of elements we consider all make sense in general unital \(C^*\)-algebras. They are: unipotents, positive invertibles, selfadjoint invertibles, symmetries, *-symmetries, commutators of elements of \(\text{inv}_0(A)\) and \(U_0(A)\), accretive elements, accretive unitaries, and positive-stable elements (real part of spectrum positive). The last three classes are the ones requiring the slight modification; without it, lengths of factorization behave like exponential length rather than exponential rank.