Real closed separation theorems and applications to group algebras (Q2393601)

The paper contributes to the study of Positivstellensätze in non-commutative real algebra. Let \(A\) be a \(\ast\)-algebra (where \(\ast\) is an involution) together with a set of \(\ast\)-algebra representations. The cone \(\Sigma^2A = \{ \Sigma a_i^{\ast} a_i \mid a_i \in A\}\) plays the same role in this setting as the sums of squares in commutative real algebra. Typically a Postivstellensatz says that a self adjoint element \(a \in A\) belongs to \(\Sigma^2A\) if it is positive definite in every representation. Further questions about \(\Sigma^2A\) are whether the cone is closed for some natural topology on \(A\) and whether it has interior points. The main tool in these investigations is a Hahn-Banach separation theorem for real vector spaces, where the separating functionals take values in proper real closed extension fields \(R \supset \mathbb{R}\). This approach leads naturally to \textit{generalized representations} of \(\ast\)-algebras taking values in algebraically closed fields \(C = R(i)\). With these tools the authors prove a very general Positivstellensatz. Then they consider group algebras \(\mathbb{C}[\Gamma]\) as \(\ast\)-algebras with involution \((\Sigma a_{\gamma} \gamma)^{\ast} = \Sigma \overline{a_{\gamma}}\gamma^{-1}\) and study the cone \(\Sigma^2 \mathbb{C}[\Gamma]\) and certain subcones thereof.