Simple Lie algebras arising from Steinberg algebras of Hausdorff ample groupoids

Abstract

In this paper, we show that a unital simple Steinberg algebra is central, and a nonunital simple Steinberg algebra has zero center. We identify the fields $K$ and Hausdorff ample groupoids $\mathcal{G}$ for which the simple Steinberg algebra $A_K(\mathcal{G})$ yields a simple Lie algebra $[A_K(\mathcal{G}), A_K(\mathcal{G})]$. We apply the obtained results on simple Leavitt path algebras, simple Kumjian-Pask algebras and simple Exel-Pardo algebras to determine their associated Lie algebras are simple. In particular, we give easily computable criteria to determine which Lie algebras of the form $[L_K(E), L_K(E)]$ are simple, when $E$ is an arbitrary graph and the Leavitt path algebra $L_K(E)$ is simple. Also, we obtain that unital simple Exel-Pardo algebras are central, and nonunital simple Exel-Pardo algebras have zero center.