Harmonic operators: the dual perspective (Q870642)

Let \(G\) be a locally compact group and let \(VN(G)\) be the von Neumann algebra generated by the left translations \(\lambda(x)\), \(x\in G\), in the algebra \(B(L^2(G))\) of bounded operators on \(L^2(G)\); the predual of \(VN(G)\) may be identified with the Fourier algebra \(A(G)\). Let \(M_{cb}(A(G))\) be the set of functions \(\sigma\) on \(G\) such that there is a completely bounded weak\(^*\)-continuous operator \(T\mapsto \sigma\cdot T\) on \(VN(G)\) such that \(\sigma\cdot\lambda(x)=\sigma(x)\lambda(x)\) for all \(x\in G\); it contains in particular the Fourier algebra \(A(G)\) and the set \(P^1(G)\) of continuous positive definite functions on \(G\) with value \(1\) at the identity element of \(G\). Let us recall the definition of harmonic functions proposed by \textit{C.-H. Chu} and \textit{A. To-Ming Lau} [Harmonic functions on groups and Fourier algebras. Lecture Notes in Mathematics. 1782. Berlin: Springer (2002; Zbl 1009.43001)]: they say that an element \(T\in VN(G)\) is harmonic with respect to \(\sigma\) if \(\sigma\cdot T=T\); denote the set of such \(T\) by \(H_\sigma\). They prove that if \(\sigma\in P^1(G)\), then \(H_\sigma\) is the von Neumann algebra generated by the \(\lambda(x)\) with \(\sigma(x)=1\). (If \(G\) is commutative, the Fourier transform identifies \(VN(G)\) with \(L^\infty(\widehat G)\) and \(\sigma\) is in \(P^1(G)\) if and only if \(\sigma\) is the Fourier-Stieltjes transform of a probability measure on \(\widehat G\), so that we recover the classical definition of harmonic functions on \(\widehat G\).) This article presents an alternative definition of harmonic operators that uses the representation \(\widehat\theta\) of \(M_{cb}(A(G))\) on \(B(L^2(G))\) constructed by \textit{Matthias Neufang, Zhong-Jin Ruan} and \textit{Nicolaas Spronk} [Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. (in press)]; this representation satisfies \(\widehat\theta(\sigma)T=\sigma\cdot T\) for all \(T\in VN(G)\). The authors say that an operator \(T\in B(L^2(G))\) is harmonic with respect to \(\sigma\) if \(\widehat\theta(\sigma)T=T\); denote the set of such \(T\) by \(\widetilde{\mathcal H}_\sigma\). The authors extend \textit{P. Eymard}\ 's definition of support [Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 92, 181--236 (1964; Zbl 0169.46403)] to elements of \(B(L^2(G))\) and prove that if \(T\) is harmonic in their sense, then its support is a subset of \(\{x:\sigma(x)=1\}\); the converse holds if \(\sigma\in P^1(G)\) and \(G\) has the approximation property. Under this hypothesis, or if \(\sigma\in P^1(G)\cap A(G)\), they show that \(\widetilde{\mathcal H}_\sigma\) is the von Neumann algebra generated by \(\mathcal H_\sigma\) and \(L^\infty(G)\). They conjecture that their results hold for all \(\sigma\in P^1(G)\) without additional hypotheses.