Algebraically irreducible representations and structure space of the Banach algebra associated with a topological dynamical system (Q305707)

A homeomorphism \(\sigma: X\to X\) on a compact space \(X\) determines a dynamical system \(\Sigma=(X,\sigma)\), and so an action of \({\mathbb Z}\) on \(X\). The crossed product \(C^*\)-algebra \(C(X)\rtimes {\mathbb Z}\) is well studied, but one may also consider the \(\ell^1\) crossed product associated with this action, denoted here by \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\) (note that the above-mentioned \(C^*\)-algebra is the enveloping \(C^*\)-algebra of \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\)). The authors of the paper under review have studied crossed products associated to dynamical systems in the papers [J. Funct. Anal. 262, No. 11, 4746--4765 (2012; Zbl 1311.46046)] (with \textit{C. Svensson}), [Stud. Math. 208, No. 1, 47--75 (2012; Zbl 1247.46041)] and [Banach J. Math. Anal. 7, No. 2, 103--135 (2013; Zbl 1275.46039)]. In the paper under review, the authors study in particular algebraically irreducible representations of \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\) on complex vector spaces as well as its primitive ideals and the structure space (i.e., the set of primitive ideals with the hull-kernel topology). Compared to the previous work on representations of \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\), the authors now work in a purely algebraic setting, which leads to a better notion of primitive ideal. Next we describe some of the main results of the paper under review. The authors give a description of all finite-dimensional algebraically irreducible representations of \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\) up to algebraic equivalence: these are induced by the periodic points of the system and are indexed by the finite orbits of the action and the elements of the unit circle \({\mathbb T}\). Aperiodic points give rise to infinite-dimensional representations \(\pi_x^p\) of \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\) on \(\ell^p({\mathbb Z})\) (for \(1\leq p \leq \infty\)). The authors show that \(\pi_x^p\) is algebraically irreducible if \(p=1\), topologically irreducible (but not algebraically) if \(1<p<\infty\), and not even topologically irreducible if \(p=\infty\). There may be other (infinite-dimensional) algebraically irreducible representations, but the primitive ideals given by the above-mentioned representations associated to the points of \(X\) are enough to show that the Banach algebra \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\) is semisimple. The authors also show that such primitive ideals give all of the structure space in the case when \(X\) is metrizable and in the case when every point of \(X\) is periodic. All primitive ideals are shown to be self-adjoint. Finally, the authors study the structure space of \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\) and, in particular, describe parts of the structure space (associated to periodic points) under some conditions. The results imply, for example, that if all the orbits of \(X\) have the same finite order, then the structure space of \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\) is homeomorphic to \(X/{\mathbb Z} \times {\mathbb T}\). The paper includes other interesting results relating dynamics with the structure of the Banach algebra \(\ell^1(\Sigma)\).