Homotopy classes of *-homomorphisms between stable \(C^*\)-algebras and their multiplier algebras (Q2639307)

The author shows that the universal functor from the category of \(C^*\)- algebras to the category of abelian groups, that is stable, homotopy invariant, and additive, is given by the Grothendieck group associated to the abelian semigroup of homotopy classes of *-homomorphisms \({\mathcal A}\to {\mathcal K}\otimes {\mathcal B}\) for \(C^*\)-algebras \({\mathcal A}\) and \({\mathcal B}\). Moreover, he gives alternative descriptions of this two-variable functor and using these he arrives at a new characterization of KK-groups KK(\({\mathcal A},{\mathcal B})\) for \({\mathcal A}\) unital or \({\mathcal A}\) and \({\mathcal B}\) separable. More specifically, he introduces a group kK(\({\mathcal A},{\mathcal B})\) of homotopy classes of cycles \((\phi_+,\phi_ -)\) where \(\phi_{\pm}: M({\mathcal K}\otimes {\mathcal A})\to M({\mathcal K}\otimes {\mathcal B})\) are *-homomorphisms of the stable multiplier algebras continuous with respect to the strict topology and satisfying \(\phi_+(x)-\phi_ - (x)\in {\mathcal K}\otimes {\mathcal B}\), for all \(x\in {\mathcal K}\otimes {\mathcal A}\).