A Morita type equivalence for dual operator algebras (Q2475105)

Let \(\mathcal{A}\) be a unital dual operator algebra and \(\Delta(\mathcal{A}) = \mathcal{A}\cap\mathcal{A}^*\) be its diagonal. A normal representation of \(\mathcal{A}\) is a unital completely contractive w*-continuous homomorphism \(\alpha : \mathcal{A}\rightarrow B(H)\), where \(B(H)\) is the algebra of all bounded operators acting on a Hilbert space \(H\). Let \(_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{M}\) be the category whose objects are pairs \((H,\alpha)\) where \(\alpha : \mathcal{A}\rightarrow B(H)\) is a normal representation. For given objects \((H_i,\alpha_i)\), \(i = 1,2\), of \(_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{M}\), the space of morphisms from \((H_1,\alpha_1)\) to \((H_2,\alpha_2)\) is defined to be \[ \Hom_{\mathcal{A}}(H_1,H_2) = \{T\in B(H_1,H_2) : T\alpha_1(A) = \alpha_2(A)T, \;A\in \mathcal{A}\}. \] Let \(_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{D}\mathfrak{M}\) be the category whose objects are the same as those of \(_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{M}\) but whose morphisms from \((H_1,\alpha_1)\) to \((H_2,\alpha_2)\) are the elements of \[ \Hom_{\mathcal{A}}^{\mathfrak{D}}(H_1,H_2) = \{T\in B(H_1,H_2) : T\alpha_1(A) = \alpha_2(A)T, \;A\in \Delta(\mathcal{A})\}. \] Let \(\mathcal{A}\) and \(\mathcal{B}\) be unital dual operator algebras. A functor \(\mathcal{G} : {}_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{D}\mathfrak{M} \rightarrow {}_{\mathcal{B}}\mathfrak{D}\mathfrak{M}\) is called a \(\Delta\)-extension of the functor \(\mathcal{F} : {}_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{M} \rightarrow {}_{\mathcal{B}}\mathfrak{M}\) if \(\mathcal{G}\) and \(\mathcal{F}\) coincide on the class of common objects of \(_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{D}\mathfrak{M}\) and \(_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{M}\), and \(\mathcal{G}(T) = \mathcal{F}(T)\) for every \(T\in \Hom_{\mathcal{A}}(H_1,H_2)\). A functor \(\mathcal{G} : {}_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{D}\mathfrak{M} \rightarrow {}_{\mathcal{B}}\mathfrak{D}\mathfrak{M}\) is called a \(*\)-functor if \(\mathcal{G}(T^*) = \mathcal{G}(T)^*\) for every \(T\in \Hom_{\mathcal{A}}^{\mathfrak{D}}(H_1,H_2)\). The (unital dual) operator algebras \(\mathcal{A}\) and \(\mathcal{B}\) are called \(\Delta\)-equivalent if there exists an equivalence functor \(\mathcal{F} : \text{}_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{M} \rightarrow \text{}_{\mathcal{B}}\mathfrak{M}\) which has a \(\Delta\)-extension to a \(*\)-functor implementing an equivalence between \(\text{}_{\mathcal{A}}\mathfrak{D}\mathfrak{M}\) and \(\text{}_{\mathcal{B}}\mathfrak{D}\mathfrak{M}\). The first main result of the paper under review is that the unital dual operator algebras \(\mathcal{A}\) and \(\mathcal{B}\) are \(\Delta\)-equivalent if and only if there exist completely isometric normal representations \(\alpha : \mathcal{A}\rightarrow B(H)\) and \(\beta : \mathcal{B}\rightarrow B(K)\), and a ternary ring of operators \(\mathcal{M}\subseteq B(H,K)\) (that is, a subspace \(\mathcal{M}\subseteq B(H,K)\) closed under the ternary product \((A,B,C)\rightarrow AB^*C\)) such that \[ \mathcal{A} = \overline{[\mathcal{M}^*\mathcal{B}\mathcal{M}]}^{w^*} \;\text{ and } \;\mathcal{B} = \overline{[\mathcal{M}\mathcal{A}\mathcal{M}^*]}^{w^*}. \] This generalises a result of \textit{M.\,A.\thinspace Rieffel} for W*-algebras [J.~Pure Appl.\ Algebra 5, 51--96 (1974; Zbl 0295.46099)]. In his second main result, the author shows that every functor implementing a \(\Delta\)-equivalence between \(\mathcal{A}\) and \(\mathcal{B}\) is equivalent to a certain functor associated with a \(\mathcal{B},\mathcal{A}\)-bimodule in a canonical way.