A remark on manageable multiplicative unitaries (Q5949970)

A unitary \(W\) on the Hilbert space \(H \otimes H\) is called multiplicative when it satisfies the pentagonal relation \(W_{12} W_{13} W_{23}=W_{23} W_{12}\) on \(H\otimes H\otimes H\) with respect to the usual leg notation. Multiplicative unitaries are generalizations of the Kac-Takesaki operator \[ (Wf)(s,t)=f(st,t) \quad s,t\in G,f\in L^2(G), \] associated to a locally compact group \(G\). As shown in the seminal paper of \textit{S. Baaj} and \textit{G. Skandalis} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér., IV. Sér. 26, No. 4, 425-488 (1993; Zbl 0804.46078)], multiplicative unitaries provide a powerful abstract approach to (noncommutative) duality theories that goes beyond the Takesaki-Takai duality. To develop an abstract theory of Kac-Takesaki operators, Baaj and Skandalis defined the notion of regular multiplicative unitaries. A multiplicative operator \(W\) was called regular if the norm closure of \(\{ (id \otimes \omega)(\Sigma W);\;\omega \in B(H)_\ast \}\) is the \(C^*\)-algebra of compact operators on \(H\), where \(\Sigma\) denotes the flip on \(H\otimes H\). This definition suits well the case of compact quantum groups. In the non-compact case however, the related Kac-Takesaki operator does not need to be regular, as shown by \textit{S. Baaj} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 314, No. 13, 1021-1026 (1992; Zbl 0771.17011)]. In an attempt to straighten this problem, \textit{S. L. Woronowicz} [Int. J. Math. 7, No. 1, 127-149 (1996; Zbl 0876.46044)] has introduced the notion of manageable multiplicative unitary. He called a multiplicative unitary \(W\) on \(H\times H\) manageable if there exist a positive self-adjoint operator \(Q\) on \(H\) and a unitary \(\widetilde{W}\) on \(\bar{H} \times H\) (\(\bar{H}\) denotes the complex conjugate of \(H\)) such that \(\text{ Ker}(Q)=0\) and \((x\otimes u |W|z\otimes y)=(\bar{z} \times Qu |\widetilde{W} |\bar{x} \times Q^{-1} y)\) for all \(x,z\in H\), \(y\in D(Q^{-1})\), \(u\in D(Q)\), and proved a series of properties for this class of operators. It turned out, however, that in examples as quantum `\(ax+b\)' and `\(az+b\)' groups, the naturally chosen are not manageable. In the paper under review, the authors propose yet another notion, defining and studying modular multiplicative operators. A multiplicative operator \(W\) on \(H\otimes H\) is called modular if there exist \(Q,\widehat{Q}\) positive self-adjoint operators on \(H\) and \(\widetilde{W}\) unitary on \(\bar{H} \times H\) such that \(\text{Ker}(Q)=\text{Ker}(\widehat{Q})=0\), \(W(\widehat{Q} \otimes Q)W^* =\widehat{Q} \otimes Q\), and the last equality in the definition of manageable unitaries is still being satisfied. Modular multiplicative operators are shown to satisfy similar properties as the manageable ones. The additional feature is that the natural multiplicative unitaries associated with the quantum `\(ax+b\)' and `\(az+b\)' groups are modular.