Relatively hyperbolic groups are \(C^*\)-simple. (Q868935)

A countable discrete group is said to be \(C^*\)-simple if its reduced \(C^*\)-algebra is simple, that is, if it has no non-trivial two-sided ideals. \(C^*\)-simplicity is a form of non-amenability. In the paper under review, the authors give a characterization of \(C^*\)-simple relatively hyperbolic groups. This characterization uses the notion of maximal finite normal subgroup, which was introduced in the paper by \textit{G. Arzhantseva, A. Minasyan} and \textit{D. Osin} [The SQ-universality and residual properties of relatively hyperbolic groups, preprint (2006)], in which the authors prove that every non-elementary group \(G\) which is hyperbolic relative to a collection of proper subgroups has a maximal finite normal subgroup. The main result of the paper under review is then the following Theorem: Let \(G\) be a non-elementary group which is hyperbolic with respect to a collection of proper subgroups. If the maximal finite normal subgroup of \(G\) is reduced to the identity, then, for any finite subset \(F\) of \(G\setminus\{\text{Id}\}\) there exists an element \(g_0\in G\) of infinite order such that for each \(f\in F\), the subgroup of \(G\) generated by \(f\) and \(g_0\) is canonically isomorphic to the free product \(\langle f\rangle*\langle g_0\rangle\). The last condition in the statement of the theorem was highlighted in the paper [\textit{M. Bekka, M. Cowling} and \textit{P. de la Harpe}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 80, 117-134 (1995; Zbl 0827.22001)], where it was called property \({\mathbf P}_{\text{nai}}\).