Quantum group of orientation-preserving Riemannian isometries (Q732047)

The authors starting from the observation that the group of Riemannian isometries of a compact Riemannian manifold \(M\), can be identified with the universal object in the category of all compact metrizable groups acting on \(M\) with smooth and isometric action, aim to define a noncommutative analogue of such a group. Here, the starting point in noncommutative geometry is the point of view introduced by A. Connes, where by noncommutative manifold (quantum manifold) one means the so-called spectral triple \(({\mathcal A}, {\mathcal H}, D)\). Then, the authors show how to modify this notion in order to recognize a suitable category of transformations where an universal object exits and that they call quantum group of orientation-preserving Riemannian isometries. The main result is just the following theorem (Theorem 2.14 in the paper). Theorem. For any \(R\)-twisted spectral triple of compact type \(({\mathcal A}^{\infty}, {\mathcal H}, D)\), the category \({\mathbb Q}_R\) of quantum families of volume and orientation preserving isometries has a universal (initial) object, say \((\widetilde{\mathcal G}, U_0)\). Moreover, \(\widetilde{\mathcal G}\) has a coproduct \(\triangle_0\), such that \((\widetilde{\mathcal G},\triangle_0)\) is a compact quantum group and \((\widetilde{\mathcal G}, \triangle_0,U_0)\) is a universal object in the category \({\mathbb Q}'_R\). The representation \(U_0\) is faithful. (Here by compact quantum group is meant a unital separable \(C^*\)-algebra \(S\) equipped with a unital \(C^*\)-homomorphism \(\triangle:S\to S\otimes S\), satisfying suitable conditions. Furthermore, a quantum family of orientation preserving isometries of \(({\mathcal A}^{\infty}, {\mathcal H}, D)\) is a pair \((S,U)\) with \(S\) a separable unital \(C^*\)-algebra and \(U\) a unitary element of \({\mathcal L}({\mathcal H}\otimes S)\), satisfying suitable conditions. The category \({\mathbb Q}'_R\) is made of objects \((S,\triangle,U)\), where \((S,\triangle)\) is a compact quantum group acting by orientation preserving isometries on the given spectral triple, with \(U\) the corresponding unitary representation. The index \(R\) means \(R\)-twisted. (See the paper.)) The paper contains also comparisons with other previous works, by the same authors, on this subject. Relations with previous works by Connes, Wang, Woronowicz, and other mathematicians, are stressed, too. The paper, after a detailed Introduction, splits in four more sections. 2. Definition and existence of the quantum group of orientation-preserving isometries. 3. Comparison with the approach based on Laplacian. 4. Examples and computations. 5. \(QISO^+\) of deformed spectral triples. Remark. Nowadays, there are many works trying to extend the notion of Riemannian manifolds to noncommutative geometry, seen in terms of Connes spectral triple, therefore by using the Dirac operator (or analogues of Laplace-Beltrami operators). In general, such works use standard tools of the functional analysis. The present work can be placed in this research context. However, the impression that one can have from all these works is that such a functional choice in order to find quantum analogues of classical differential geometric structures is too involved and unnatural. More natural and geometric interpretations of quantum manifolds, useful to be used to describe quantum physical phenomena, can be obtained following a pseudogroup approach to noncommutative geometry. In this way, one obtains also, in a natural way, a geometric theory of quantum PDEs. (See works on this subject by the reviewer of this paper.)