Tracially \(\mathcal Z\)-absorbing \(C^\ast\)-algebras (Q2436755)

The problem of characterizing the \({\mathcal Z}\)-absorbing \(C^*\)-algebras, i.e., \(C^*\)-algebras \({\mathcal A}\) with the property that \({\mathcal A}\otimes {\mathcal Z} \cong {\mathcal A}\) with \({\mathcal Z}\) denoting the Jiang-Su algebra, is of compelling interest in the \(C^*\)-classification program by \(K\)-theoretical data initiated by Elliott. Major progress in this direction has been achieved in recent years by \textit{W. Winter} [Invent. Math. 179, No. 2, 229--301 (2010; Zbl 1194.46104); ibid. 187, No. 2, 259--342 (2012; Zbl 1280.46041)] and by \textit{H. Matui} and \textit{Y. Sato} [Acta Math. 209, No. 1, 179--196 (2012; Zbl 1277.46028)]. Motivated by these works, the paper under review introduces and investigates a related notion. A unital \(C^*\)-algebra \({\mathcal A} \neq {\mathbb C}\) is called tracially \({\mathcal Z}\)-absorbing if for every tuple \((F,\varepsilon,a,n)\) with a finite subset \(F\) of \({\mathcal A}\), \(\varepsilon >0\), \(a\in {\mathcal A}\), \(n\in {\mathbb N}\), there exists an order zero completely positive contraction \(\varphi : M_n \rightarrow {\mathcal A}\) such that the elements of \(F\) and the \(\varphi\)-image of the unit ball of \(M_n\) commute within \(\varepsilon\) in \({\mathcal A}\) and \(1-\varphi(1) \lesssim a\) in the sense of Cuntz comparison. Simple unital \({\mathcal Z} \)-absorbing \(C^*\)-algebras are shown to be tracially \({\mathcal Z}\)-absorbing. The following interesting properties are established for a unital simple tracially \({\mathcal Z}\)-absorbing \(C^*\)-algebra \({\mathcal A}\): (1) The Cuntz semigroup \(W({\mathcal A})\) is almost unperforated, so \({\mathcal A}\) has strict comparison. This extends the corresponding result for \({\mathcal Z}\)-absorbing \(C^*\)-algebras due to \textit{M. Rørdam} [Int. J. Math. 15, No. 10, 1065--1084 (2004; Zbl 1077.46054)]. 2) If, in addition, \({\mathcal A}\) is separable and nuclear, then \({\mathcal A} \otimes {\mathcal Z} \cong {\mathcal A}\). 3) If \({\mathcal A}\) is nuclear and some power of an automorphism \(\alpha\) of \({\mathcal A}\) with the generalized Rokhlin property (as in Definition 6.1) acts trivially on the tracial state space of \({\mathcal A}\), then the crossed product \({\mathcal A} \rtimes_\alpha {\mathbb Z}\) is tracially \({\mathcal Z}\)-absorbing.