On \(C^{\ast}\)-algebras associated to product systems (Q2420439)

In [Fields Inst. Commun. 12, 189--212 (1997; Zbl 0871.46028)], \textit{M. V. Pimsner} associated a (universal) \(C^*\)-algebra \(\mathcal{O}_{\mathcal{E}}\) to any faithful correspondence \(\mathcal{E}: A\leadsto A\) on a \(C^*\)-algebra \(A\). \textit{P. S. Muhly} and \textit{B. Solel} [J. Funct. Anal. 158, No. 2, 389--457 (1998; Zbl 0912.46070)] extended the construction to non-faithful correspondences on a suitable ideal \(J\lhd A\) with \(\varphi^{-1}(\mathbb{K}(\mathcal{E}))\). Lately, \textit{T. Katsura} [J. Funct. Anal. 217, No. 2, 366--401 (2004; Zbl 1067.46054)] stated necessary and sufficient conditions on \(J\) so that the universal representation of \(\mathcal{E}\) in \(\mathcal{O}_{J, \mathcal{E}}\) is injective; in particular, for the choice \(J_{\mathcal{E}}:=(\ker \varphi)^\perp \cap \varphi^{-1}(\mathbb{K}(\mathcal{E}))\), he showed that \(\mathcal{O}_{J_{\mathcal{E}}, \mathcal{E}}\) has nice properties: \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] The universal representation is injective, and \item[(ii)] it satisfies a gauge-invariant uniqueness theorem. \end{itemize} Roughly speaking, a product system may be regarded as an action of a semigroup by correspondences over a \(C^*\)-algebra. A product system over a semigroup \(P\) with unit element denoted by \(e\) is a family of correspondences \(\mathcal{E}=(\mathcal{E}_p)_{p\in P}\) with \(\mathcal{E}_e=A\), together with correspondence isomorphisms \(\mathcal{E}_p\otimes_A\mathcal{E}_q\cong \mathcal{E}_{pq}\) subject to certain axioms. They were introduced by \textit{N. J. Fowler} [Pac. J. Math. 204, No. 2, 335--375 (2002; Zbl 1059.46034)], following the work of \textit{W. Arveson} on continuous product systems on Hilbert spaces developed in [Continuous analogues of Fock space. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (1989; Zbl 0697.46035)]. Fowler [loc. cit.] defined the Toeplitz algebra \(\mathcal{T}_\mathcal{E}\) of a given product system \(\mathcal{E}\) as the universal \(C^*\)-algebra for representations of \(\mathcal{E}\), thus generalizing Toeplitz algebras of single correspondences. However, unlike the case of single correspondences, the Toeplitz algebra of a product system is in general too big. He also constructed the Cuntz-Pimsner algebra of a product system \(\mathcal{E}=(\mathcal{E}_p)_{p\in P}\) as the universal \(C^*\)-algebra for representations that are Cuntz-Pimsner covariant on \(J_p=\varphi^{-1}(\mathbb{K}(\mathcal{E}_p))\) for all \(p\in P\). As in Pimsner's original construction, Fowler's Cuntz-Pimsner algebra might be trivial if \(\mathcal{E}\) is non-faithful. Moreover, following works of \textit{A. Nica} [J. Oper. Theory 27, No. 1, 17--52 (1992; Zbl 0809.46058)] and \textit{M. Laca} and \textit{I. Raeburn} [J. Funct. Anal. 139, No. 2, 415--440 (1996; Zbl 0887.46040)], he introduced and studied in [\textit{N. J. Fowler}, Pac. J. Math. 204, No. 2, 335--375 (2002; Zbl 1059.46034)] the class of compactly aligned product systems over semigroups arising from quasi-lattice orders. That is, \(P\) is a semigroup of a group \(G\) and \((G,P)\) is a quasi-lattice ordered group in the sense of Nica [loc. cit.]. For instance, a \(k\)-graph gives rise to a compactly aligned product system over \(\mathbb{N}^k\) precisely when it is finitely aligned [\textit{I. Raeburn} and \textit{A. Sims}, J. Oper. Theory 53, No. 2, 399--429 (2005; Zbl 1093.46032), Theorem 5.4]. Also, he built a \(C^*\)-algebra out of a compactly aligned product system that is universal for representations satisfying an extra condition, called Nica covariance. The resulting \(C^*\)-algebra, known as a Nica-Toeplitz algebra, is spanned by elements of the form \(t(\mathcal{E}_p)t(\mathcal{E}_q)^*\) with \(p,q\in P\). Hence, it is much more tractable than the usual Toeplitz algebra \(\mathcal{T}_{\mathcal{E}}\). However, the problem of finding a \(C^*\)-algebra that approximates the structure of a given compactly aligned product system in an optimal way has not been completely solved. The question is: for a compactly aligned product system \(\mathcal{E}=(\mathcal{E}_p)_{p\in P}\), which quotient of the Nica-Toeplitz algebra \(\mathcal{NT}_\mathcal{E}\) gives, in an appropriate sense, the smallest \(C^*\)-algebra so that the representation of \(\mathcal{E}\) in the corresponding quotient remains injective? \textit{A. Sims} and \textit{T. Yeend} [J. Oper. Theory 64, No. 2, 349--376 (2010; Zbl 1240.46080)] considered this question. They associated to a given compactly aligned product system \(\mathcal{E}\) a \(C^*\)-algebra \(\mathcal{NO}_{\mathcal{E}}\), called the Cuntz-Nica-Pimsner algebra, so that the universal representation of \(\mathcal{E}\) in \(\mathcal{NO}_{\mathcal{E}}\) is injective for a large class of product systems [loc. cit., Theorem 4.1]. This is a quotient of the Nica-Toeplitz algebra of \(\mathcal{E}\). Their notion of covariant representation is quite technical, but their construction includes Cuntz-Krieger algebras of finitely aligned higher rank graphs [loc. cit., Proposition 5.4] and Katsura's relative Cuntz-Pimsner algebras of single correspondences [loc. cit., Proposition 5.3]. In the paper under review, the author takes a semigroup \(P\) of a group \(G\) and constructs a \(C^*\)-algebra \(A\times_\mathcal{E} P\) from a product system \(\mathcal{E}=(\mathcal{E}_p)_{p\in P}\) satisfying the conditions (A) and (B) of [loc. cit.]: the universal representation of \(\mathcal{E}\) in \(A\times_\mathcal{E} P\) is faithful on the fixed point algebra for the canonical gauge coaction of \(G\) if and only if it is faithful on \(A\). To do so, the author looks at the topological \(G\)-grading of the Toeplitz algebra of \(\mathcal{E}\) coming form the canonical coaction of \(G\), and analyzes the class of representations of \(\mathcal{T}_\mathcal{E}^e\) coming from quotients of the usual Fock representation of \(\mathcal{E}\) on \(\bigoplus_{p\in P}\mathcal{E}_p\). Then, following ideas of \textit{R. Exel} [Ergodic Theory Dyn. Syst. 28, No. 3, 749--789 (2008; Zbl 1153.46039)], the author defines the notion of strong covariance for the product system; even if it involves elements of \(G\), it turns out to be independent of the embedding \(P\hookrightarrow G\). The notion of covariance introduced in the paper is technical and in general difficult to verify. However, the author presents an equivalent and considerably simpler definition of strong covariance for compactly aligned product systems over quasi-lattice ordered groups. The author shows that \(A\times_\mathcal{E} P\) coincides with the Cuntz-Nica-Pimsner algebra of \(\mathcal{E}\) if either \(P\) is directed and the canonical representation of \(\mathcal{E}\) in \(\mathcal{NO}_\mathcal{E}\) is injective, or if \(\mathcal{E}\) is faithful. The construction includes Fowler's Cuntz-Pimsner algebra if \(\mathcal{E}\) is a proper and faithful product system over a cancellative Ore monoid [\textit{N. J. Fowler}, Pac. J. Math. 204, No. 2, 335--375 (2002; Zbl 1059.46034)], Li's semigroup \(C^*\)-algebra [\textit{X. Li}, J. Funct. Anal. 262, No. 10, 4302--4340 (2012; Zbl 1243.22006)], or Exel's crossed product by interactions [Exel, loc. cit.]. The main result of the paper is Theorem 3.10. The author first defines a certain gauge-invariant ideal \(J_\infty^G\) of \(\mathcal{T}_\mathcal{E}\). The corresponding quotient \(\mathcal{T}_\mathcal{E}/J_\infty^G\) becomes the object of study. The author shows that \(A\) embeds into this quotient. Moreover, it carries a canonical topological \(G\)-grading and also satisfies an analog of condition (B) mentioned previously. Applying this fact to the universal group of \(P\), the author shows that such a quotient of \(\mathcal{T}_\mathcal{E}\) is independent of the choice of the group containing \(P\) as a subsemigroup. This quotient is the covariance algebra of \(\mathcal{E}\).