Beurling-Fourier algebras, operator amenability and Arens regularity (Q652434)

Roughly speaking, a Beurling algebra is an \(L^1\)-algebra with a (continuous submultiplicative) extra weight, associated to a locally compact group. For an abelian group \(G\) and a weight \(\omega\) on its dual group \(\widehat{G}\), the Beurling-Fourier algebra \(A(G,\omega)\) is the Fourier transform of the Beurling algebra \(L^1(\widehat{G},\omega)\). In the general non-abelian setting, the authors define a weight on the dual of a locally compact group \(G\) to be a suitable densely defined (possibly unbounded) operator \(W\) affiliated to \(VN(G)\), the von Neumann algebra generated by the left regular representation of \(G\). For the sake of simplicity they assume that \(W\) has a bounded inverse \(W^{-1}\in VN(G)\) and impose that \[ \Gamma(W)(W^{-1}\otimes W^{-1})\leq 1_{VN(G\times G)}, \] where \(\Gamma\) denotes an extension of the usual co-multiplication on \(VN(G)\). Next, they equip \[ VN(G,W^{-1}):=\left\{AW:A\in VN(G)\right\} \] with the natural operator space structure induced by the linear isomorphism \(A\mapsto AW\) from \(VN(G)\) onto \(VN(G,W^{-1})\) and show that the predual \(A(G,W)\) of \(VN(G,W^{-1})\) is a completely contractive Banach algebra, which they call a Beurling-Fourier algebra on \(G\). To illustrate this approach, various classes of weights on duals of compact groups and Heisenberg groups are exhibited. When \(G\) is compact and \(W\) commutes with elements of \(VN(G)\), several results are obtained regarding operator amenability, operator weak amenability and Arens regularity of Beurling-Fourier algebras \(A(G,W)\) which parallel those holding for classical Beurling algebras on discrete groups. As an application, the Beurling-Fourier algebras on \(SU(2)\) are studied and their connection to the non-amenability of the Fourier algebra \(A(G)\) for a compact connected non-abelian Lie group \(G\) is explained. The paper ends by constructing families of unital infinite-dimensional closed Arens regular subalgebras of the Fourier algebra of certain products of \(SU(2)\). This is in contrast with the classical Beurling algebras case, since there exist unital infinite-dimensional Arens regular Beurling algebras but they cannot be closed subalgebras of any group algebra. As the authors themselves remark, the properties of Beurling-Fourier algebras on compact groups, focusing on the question of determining their spectrum, have also been treated in [\textit{J. Ludwig}, \textit{N. Spronk} and \textit{L. Turowska}, J. Funct. Anal. 262, No. 2, 463--499 (2012; Zbl 1235.43003)].