Quantum relative modular functions

Abstract

Let $\mathbb{H}\trianglelefteq\mathbb{G}$ be a closed normal subgroup of a locally compact quantum group. We introduce a strictly positive group-like element affiliated with $L^{\infty}(\mathbb{G})$ that, roughly, measures the failure of $\mathbb{G}$ to act measure-preservingly on $\mathbb{H}$ by conjugation. The triviality of that element is equivalent to the condition that $\mathbb{G}$ and $\mathbb{G}/\mathbb{H}$ have the same modular element, by analogy with the classical situation. This condition is automatic if $\mathbb{H}\le \mathbb{G}$ is central, and in general implies the unimodularity of $\mathbb{H}$. We also describe a bijection between strictly positive group-like elements $\delta$ affiliated with $C_0(\mathbb{G})$ and quantum-group morphisms $\mathbb{G}\to (\mathbb{R},+)$, with the closed image of the morphism easily described in terms of the spectrum of $\delta$. This then implies that property-(T) locally compact quantum groups admit no non-obvious strictly positive group-like elements.