Approximately inner and centrally free commuting squares of type II\(_1\) factors and their classification (Q2565233)

Recently, \textit{S. Popa} in [``Approximate innerness and central freeness for subfactors: A classification result'', in ``Subfactors'', 274-293, World Scientific, Singapore (1994), ``Classification of subfactors and their endomorphisms'', Regional Conference Series in Mathematics. 86 (1995; Zbl 0865.46044)] developed the notion of approximate innerness and central freeness for inclusions of factors with finite Jones index. He used these notions to obtain a classification theorem for certain subfactors. In this paper, a similar result is obtained for certain commuting squares of factors. The main theorem in the paper is the following. Let \[ \begin{matrix} N &\subset & M\\ \cup &&\cup\\ Q & \subset & P\end{matrix} \] be a non-degenerate commuting square of type \(\text{II}_2\) factors with Jones indices satisfying \([M:N]= [P:Q]< \infty\). Moreover, assume that the Jones graph \(\Gamma_{Q,P}\) is strongly amenable, that the inclusion \(Q\subset N\) is stable (i.e. \(Q\subset N\) is equivalent with \(Q\otimes R\subset N\otimes R\), where \(R\) is the hyperfinite \(\text{II}_1\) factor). Also assume that the commuting square is approximately inner and centrally free. Then \[ \begin{pmatrix} N &\subset &M\\ \cup &&\cup\\ Q &\subset &P\end{pmatrix} \cong \begin{pmatrix} N & \otimes &N^{st} &\subset &N &\otimes &M^{st}\\ &\cup &&&&\cup\\ Q &\otimes &N^{st} &\subset &Q &\otimes &M^{st}\end{pmatrix} \] where \(N^{st}\subseteq M^{st}\) is the standard model for \(N\subset M\). Also some converse is proved. It would take us to far to exlain the different concepts involved in the formulation of the theorem. The notions of central freeness and approximate innerness for commuting squares of factors are treated in detail in the paper. See also the first cited paper. The other notions are by now standard in the theory of subfactors and can be founded e.g. in the second cited paper.