Strong rigidity of II₁ factors arising from malleable actions of w-rigid groups. I

that are ``malleable and mixing. Examples are the weighted Bernoulli and Bogoliubov shifts. We prove a rigidity result for such factors, showing the uniqueness of the position of $L (G)$ inside $M$ . We use this to calculate the fundamental group $m y c a l F (M)$ in terms of the weights of the shift, for certain arithmetic groups $G$ such as $G = B b b Z^{2} t i m e s S L (2, B b b Z)$ . We deduce that for any countable group $S s u b s e t B b b R_{+}^{*}$ there exist II $_{1}$ factors $M$ with $m y c a l F (M) = S$ , thus bringing new light to a longstanding problem of Murray and von Neumann.

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The paper under review gives a remarkable answer to a challenging problem concerning type II$_1$ factors, originating in the classical work of \textit{F. J. Murray} and \textit{J. von Neumann} [Ann. Math. 44, 716--808 (1943; Zbl 0060.26903)]. For any subgroup $S\subset {\mathbb R}_+^*$ the existence of a II$_1$ factor $M$ with fundamental group ${\mathcal F}(M)=S$ is proved. When $S$ is countable $M$ can be chosen to be a separable factor (i.e., $M_*$ is separable). Previous progress was made in 1943 by Murray and von Neumann (proving ${\mathcal F}(R)={\mathbb R}_+^*$ for the hyperfinite II$_1$ factor $R$), in 1980 by \textit{A. Connes} [J. Oper. Theory 4, 151--153 (1980; Zbl 0455.46056)] (proving that ${\mathcal F}(M)$ is countable if $M$ is the von Neumann algebra of a discrete countable ICC group with Kazhdan's property T), in 1987 by \textit{V. Ya. Golodets} and \textit{N. I. Nessonov} [J. Funct. Anal. 70, 80--89 (1987; Zbl 0614.46053)] (constructing, for each countable set $\Sigma\subset {\mathbb R}_+^*$, a type II$_1$ factor $M$ with ${\mathcal F}(M)$ countable and $\Sigma\subset {\mathcal F}(M)$), and very recently by the author [Ann. Math. (2) 163, 809--899 (2006; Zbl 1120.46045)] (for any II$_1$ factor $M$ with a Cartan subalgebra satisfying simultaneously a relative Haagerup type compact approximation property and a relative property T, e.g., $M={\mathcal L}({\mathbb Z^2} \rtimes SL_2({\mathbb Z}))$, one has ${\mathcal F}(M)=\{ 1\}$). The class of II$_1$ factors considered here consist of crossed products $M=N \rtimes_\sigma G$ with two properties. The first one requires the discrete ICC group $G$ to be { $w$-rigid} (i.e., to contain an infinite normal subgroup with the relative property T). The second one requires the action $\sigma$ to be { malleable} and { mixing}. Malleability, as defined by the author [J. Funct. Anal. 230, 273--328 (2006; Zbl 1097.46045)], is related with realizability of the finite von Neumann algebra $(N,\tau)$ as the centralizer ${\mathcal N}_\varphi$ of a von Neumann algebra with discrete decomposition $({\mathcal N},\varphi)$ and with the existence of a { gauged extension} $\tilde{\sigma}$ of $\sigma$ to $(\tilde{{\mathcal N}},\tilde{\varphi})=({\mathcal N}\otimes {\mathcal N},\varphi\otimes \varphi)$ which leaves ${\mathcal N}={\mathcal N}\otimes 1\subset \tilde{{\mathcal N}}$ invariant and commutes with a certain action $\alpha$ of ${\mathbb R}$ on $\tilde{{\mathcal N}}$ for which $\alpha_1 ({\mathcal N}\otimes 1)=1\otimes {\mathcal N}$. The almost periodic spectrum $S({\mathcal N},\varphi)$, given by the pure point spectrum of the modular group $\Delta_\varphi$, is a subgroup $S(\tilde{\sigma})\subset {\mathcal F} (N\rtimes_\sigma G)\subset {\mathbb R}_+^*$. Moreover, the inclusion $M=N\rtimes_\sigma G \subset {\mathcal N}\rtimes_{\tilde{\sigma}} G$ generates a family $\text{Aut}_t (M;\tilde{\sigma})$ of $t$-scaling automorphisms, $t\in S(\tilde{\sigma})$, such that any two of them differ by an inner automorphism of $M$. The embeddings of ${\mathcal L}(G)$ in $N\rtimes_\sigma G$ are very rigid, as shown by the following central result in the paper. Theorem. Let $G_i$ be $w$-rigid ICC groups, $\sigma_i :G_i \rightarrow \text{ Aut} (N_i,\tau_i)$ malleable mixing actions with gauged extensions $\tilde{\sigma}_i$ and $M_i=N_i \rtimes_{\sigma_i} G_i$, $i=0,1$. Let $\theta:M_0 \cong M_1^s$ be an isomorphism for some $s>0$. Then there exist unique $\beta_i \in S(\tilde{\sigma}_i)$ and unique $\theta^i_{\beta_i} \in \text{ Aut}_{\beta_i} (M_i; \tilde{\sigma}_i)$ such that $\theta^1_{\beta_1} (\theta ({\mathcal L}(G_0)))={\mathcal L}(G_1)^{s\beta_1}$ and $\theta (\theta^0_{\beta_0} ({\mathcal L}(G_0)))={\mathcal L}(G_1)^{s\beta_0}$. Moreover, $\beta_0=\beta_1$. In particular, taking $G_i=G$, $\sigma_i=\sigma$, $M_i=N\rtimes _\sigma G$ with $G$ a $w$-rigid group and $\sigma$ a malleable mixing action, one has \[ \forall s\in {\mathcal F}(N\rtimes _\sigma G),\;\exists t\in S(\tilde{\sigma}),\;st\in {\mathcal F}({\mathcal L} (G)). \] Corollary. Let $G$ be a discrete ICC $w$-rigid group for which ${\mathcal F}({\mathcal L}(G))=\{ 1\}$, for instance $G={\mathbb Z}^2 \rtimes SL_2({\mathbb Z})$, and $\sigma$ be a malleable mixing action on $N$. Then ${\mathcal F}(N\rtimes _\sigma G)=S(\tilde{\sigma})$. Bernoulli $G$-shifts (both of classical and Connes-Størmer type) and Bogoliubov shifts provide prominent examples of malleable mixing actions. Classical (commutative) Bernoulli $G$-shifts $\sigma$ on $\bigotimes_{g\in G} {\mathbb T}$ only give $S(\tilde{\sigma})=\{ 1\}$ and $\text{Aut}(M;\tilde{\sigma})=\text{ Inn} (M)$. Myriads of examples are however produced by Connes-Størmer $G$-shifts $\sigma$ on ITPFI factors $({\mathcal N},\varphi)=\bigotimes_{g\in G} (B({\mathcal H}),\varphi_0)$. When the state $\varphi_0$ is defined by the list of eigenvalues $\{ t_i \}_i$, the group ${\mathcal F}(N\rtimes _\sigma G)=S(\tilde{\sigma})$ coincides with the multiplicative subgroup in ${\mathbb R}_+^*$ generated by the ratios $\{ t_i / t_j\}_{i,j}$; thus any subgroup of ${\mathbb R}_+^*$ is effectively realized as the fundamental group of a type II$_1$ factor.

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