Boutet de Monvel's Calculus and Groupoids I

Abstract

Can Boutet de Monvel's algebra on a compact manifold with boundary be obtained as the algebra $Ψ^0(G)$ of pseudodifferential operators on some Lie groupoid $G$? If it could, the kernel ${\mathcal G}$ of the principal symbol homomorphism would be isomorphic to the groupoid {$C^*$-algebra} $C^*(G)$. While the answer to the above question remains open, we exhibit in this paper a groupoid $G$ such that $C^*(G)$ possesses an ideal ${\mathcal I}$ isomorphic to ${\mathcal G}$. %ES, the kernel of the principal symbol homomorphism on Boutet de Monvel's algebra. In fact, we prove first that ${\mathcal G}\simeqΨ\otimes{\mathcal K}$ with the $C^*$-algebra $Ψ$ generated by the zero order pseudodifferential operators on the boundary and the algebra $\mathcal K$ of compact operators. As both $Ψ\otimes \mathcal K$ and $\mathcal I$ are extensions of $C(S^*Y)\otimes {\mathcal{K}}$ by ${\mathcal{K}}$ ($S^*Y$ is the co-sphere bundle over the boundary) we infer from a theorem by Voiculescu that both are isomorphic.