Unique conditional expectations for abelian \(C^\ast\)-inclusions (Q335401)

Let (\(\mathcal{A},\mathcal{B}\)) be a \(C^*\)-inclusion, i.e., a pair of unital \(C^*\)-algebras such that \(1\in\mathcal{B}\subseteq\mathcal{A}\). By a conditional expectation for (\(\mathcal{A},\mathcal{B}\)), we mean a contractive linear projection form \(\mathcal{A}\) onto \(\mathcal{B}\). A pseudo-expectation for (\(\mathcal{A},\mathcal{B}\)) is a unital completely positive map from \(\mathcal{A}\) into the injective envelope of \(\mathcal{B}\). In [Ill. J. Math. 59, No. 2, 449--483 (2015; Zbl 1351.46056)], \textit{D. R. Pitts} and the author obtained a topological characterization of when an abelian \(C^*\)-inclusion (i.e., a \(C^*\)-inclusion (\(\mathcal{A},\mathcal{B}\)) with \(\mathcal{A}\) abelian) admits a unique pseudo-expectation. The paper under review aims to establish an analogous characterization of when (\(\mathcal{A},\mathcal{B}\)) admits a unique conditional expectation, in terms of topological properties of the primitive spectra Prim(\(\mathcal{A}\)) and Prim(\(\mathcal{B}\)) of \(\mathcal{A}\) and \(\mathcal{B}\), respectively. The main result of the paper (Theorem 1.2) reads as follows: Let (\(\mathcal{A},\mathcal{B}\)) be an abelian \(C^*\)-inclusion with \(\mathcal{A}\) separable and \(j:\text{Prim}(\mathcal{A})\rightarrow\text{Prim}(\mathcal{B})\) be the corresponding canonical continuous map. Then (\(\mathcal{A},\mathcal{B}\)) admits a unique conditional expectation if and only if there exists a unique \(G_\delta\) set \(X\subseteq\text{Prim}(\mathcal{A})\) such that \(j|_X:X\rightarrow\text{Prim}(\mathcal{B})\) is an open surjection. In that case, \(X\) is closed in \(\text{Prim}(\mathcal{A})\) and \(j|_X:X\rightarrow\text{Prim}(\mathcal{B})\) is a homeomorphism. Note that every conditional expectation is a pseudo-expectation. As an obvious result, a \(C^*\)-inclusion with a unique pseudo-expectation cannot admit multiple conditional expectations, if any at all. However, the author provides an example of an abelian \(C^*\)-inclusion admitting a unique conditional expectation but infinitely many pseudo-expectations.