No label defined (Q4666785)

This survey covers the link between the Baum-Connes (BC) conjecture and the trace conjecture, following a result of \textit{W. Lück} [Invent. Math. 149, No. 1, 123--152 (2002; Zbl 1035.19003)]. Let \(\Gamma\) be a discrete countable (or finite) group. The group algebra acts by convolution on \(L^2(\Gamma)\). Its completion \(C^*_r\Gamma\) with respect to the operator norm is called the reduced \(C^*\)-algebra of \(\Gamma\). The trace functional on \(C^*_r\Gamma\) is simply evaluation at the identity element of \(\Gamma\). Informally, the BC conjecture asserts that the \(K\)-theory of \(C^*_r\Gamma\) can be realized by \(\Gamma\)-equivariant \(\text{Spin}^c\) Dirac operators, uniquely up to some elementary moves. The trace conjecture asserts that the values of the trace on the \(K_0\) group of \(C^*_r\Gamma\) lie inside a certain subring of the field of rational numbers related to finite subgroups of \(\Gamma\). Lück's result shows that BC implies the trace conjecture. Note that a priori it is not even clear that the trace takes rational values. Several variants of the BC conjecture are also discussed. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1056.58001].