Some properties of \(C^*\)-algebras associated to discrete linear groups (Q4762243)

Associated to any discrete group \(\Gamma\) are the reduced and full group \(C^*\)-algebras \(C^*_r(\Gamma)\) and \(C^*(\Gamma)\), respectively. The article under review serves as an extremely useful and stimulating survey on what is known about several important \(C^*\)-algebraic properties of these group algebras, such as nuclearity, exactness, simplicity, residual finite dimensionality and the existence of finite (faithful) traces. The results outlined are due to a number of mathematicians, most notably Kirchberg. In many cases the authors establish proofs which are shorter and more straightforward than the ones existing in the literature. Another very positive feature is that many examples are presented as well as the exhaustive bibliography. Among the authors' contribution there is an interesting new result on the non-existence of faithful traces on \(C^*(\Gamma)\) for lattices \(\Gamma\) in certain locally compact groups (Theorem 5.7). For the entire collection see [Zbl 0947.00026].