Asymptotically free families of random unitaries in symmetric groups (Q811610)

Let \(f_ 1^{(n)},\dots,f_ k^{(n)}\) be random permutation matrices (i.e. random unitaries in the group \(S_ n\subset U(n)\) of permutation matrices), which are independent and distributed after the Haar measure of \(S_ n\). We view \(f_ 1^{(n)},\dots,f^{(n)}\) as unitaries in the \(W^*\)-algebra \(M_ n=Mat_ n(L^ \infty(X))\) (\(X\) a non-atomic probability space) and prove that they are asymptotically free in the sense of Voiculescu for \(n\to\infty\). This comes to showing that the traces \(\theta_ n: F_ m\to C\), \(\theta_ n(w)\equiv\tau_ n\) \((w(f_ 1^{(n)},\dots,f_ k^{(n)}))\) converge pointwisely for \(n\to\infty\) to the canonical trace of \(F_ k\), i.e. to the characteristic function of the unit element. (Here \(F_ k\) is the free group on \(k\) generators, and \(\tau_ n\) is the natural trace-state on the \(W^*\)-algebra \(M_ n\).).