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Ionut Chifan

Publications and source records attributed to Ionut Chifan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Amenable absorption in von Neumann algebras of hyperbolic groups

We prove that the von Neumann algebra $\cL(G)$ associated with any hyperbolic group $G$ satisfies the following \emph{amenable absorption property}: for any infinite maximal amenable subgroup $H \leqslant G$ and any amenable von Neumann subalgebra $\mathcal{Q} \subset \cL(G)$ with diffuse intersection with $\cL(H)$, one must have $\mathcal{Q} \subset \cL(H)$. This strengthens a result of Boutonnet and Carderi \cite{BC2}. We also establish similar amenable absorption results for the broader class of acylindrically hyperbolic groups, including relatively hyperbolic groups, mapping class groups, and limit groups.

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arXiv2025

Property (T) group factors whose Jones index set equals all positive integers

Using a m\'elange of techniques at the rich intersection of deformation/rigidity theory, finite index subfactor theory, and geometric group theory, we prove the existence of a continuum of property (T) factors that are pairwise non-stably isomorphic and whose Jones index sets consist of all positive integers. These factors are realized as group von Neumann algebras $\mathcal{L}(G)$ associated with property (T) generalized wreath-like product groups $G \in \mathscr{WR}(A, B \curvearrowright I)$ introduced in [CIOS23b], where $A$ is abelian, $B$ is a non-parabolic subgroup of a relatively hyperbolic group with residually finite peripheral structure, and $B \curvearrowright I$ is a faithful action with infinite orbits. Integer index subfactors of $\mathcal{L}(G)$ are constructed from extensions of $G$. This result advances an open question of P. de la Harpe [dlH95].

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arXiv2025

Relative solidity results and their applications to computations of some II$_1$ factor invariants

In this paper we prove that whenever $G$ is hyperbolic relative to a family of exact, ressidually finite subgroups $\{H_1, \ldots, H_n\}$, the corresponding von Neumann algebra $\mathcal L(G)$ is solid relative to the family of subalgebras $\{\mathcal L(H_1),\ldots ,\mathcal L(H_n)\}$. Building on this result and combining it with findings from geometric group theory, we construct a continuum of icc property (T) relative hyperbolic groups that give rise to pairwise non virtually isomorphic factors, each of which has trivial one-sided fundamental semigroup.

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arXiv2024

Quasinormalizers in crossed products of von Neumann algebras

We study the relationship between the dynamics of the action $α$ of a discrete group $G$ on a von Neumann algebra $M$, and structural properties of the associated crossed product inclusion $L(G) \subseteq M \rtimes_αG$, and its intermediate subalgebras. This continues a thread of research originating in classical structural results for ergodic actions of discrete, abelian groups on probability spaces. A key tool in the setting of a noncommutative dynamical system is the set of quasinormalizers for an inclusion of von Neumann algebras. We show that the von Neumann algebra generated by the quasinormalizers captures analytical properties of the inclusion $L(G) \subseteq M \rtimes_αG$ such as the Haagerup Approximation Property, and is essential to capturing "almost periodic" behavior in the underlying dynamical system. Our von Neumann algebraic point of view yields a new description of the Furstenberg-Zimmer distal tower for an ergodic action on a probability space, and we establish new versions of the Furstenberg-Zimmer structure theorems for general, tracial $W^*$-dynamical systems. We present a number of examples contrasting the noncommutative and classical settings which also build on previous work concerning singular inclusions of finite von Neumann algebras.

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arXiv2024

Wreath-like products of groups and their von Neumann algebras III: Embeddings

For a class of wreath-like product groups with property (T), we describe explicitly all the embeddings between their von Neumann algebras. This allows us to provide a continuum of ICC groups with property (T) whose von Neumann algebras are pairwise non (stably) embeddable. We also give a construction of groups in this class only having inner injective homomorphisms. As an application, we obtain examples of group von Neumann algebras which admit only inner endomorphisms.

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arXiv2023

Wreath-like products of groups and their von Neumann algebras I: $W^\ast$-superrigidity

We introduce a new class of groups called wreath-like products. These groups are close relatives of the classical wreath products and arise naturally in the context of group theoretic Dehn filling. Unlike ordinary wreath products, many wreath-like products have Kazhdan's property (T). In this paper, we prove that any group $G$ in a natural family of wreath-like products with property (T) is W$^*$-superrigid: the group von Neumann algebra $\text{L}(G)$ remembers the isomorphism class of $G$. This allows us to provide the first examples (in fact, $2^{\aleph_0}$ pairwise non-isomorphic examples) of W$^*$-superrigid groups with property (T).

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arXiv2023

An exotic II$_1$ factor without property Gamma

We introduce a new iterative amalgamated free product construction of II$_1$ factors, and use it to construct a separable II$_1$ factor which does not have property Gamma and is not elementarily equivalent to the free group factor $\text{L}(\mathbb F_n)$, for any $2\leq n\leq \infty$. This provides the first explicit example of two non-elementarily equivalent II$_1$ factors without property Gamma. Moreover, our construction also provides the first explicit example of a II$_1$ factor without property Gamma that is also not elementarily equivalent to any ultraproduct of matrix algebras. Our proofs use a blend of techniques from Voiculescu's free entropy theory and Popa's deformation/rigidity theory.

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arXiv2023

Rigidity for von Neumann algebras of graph product groups II. Superrigidity results

In \cite{CDD22} we investigated the structure of $\ast$-isomorphisms between von Neumann algebras $L(\Gamma)$ associated with graph product groups $\Gamma$ of flower-shaped graphs and property (T) wreath-like product vertex groups as in \cite{CIOS21}. In this follow-up we continue the structural study of these algebras by establishing that these graph product groups $\Gamma$ are entirely recognizable from the category of all von Neumann algebras arising from an arbitrary non-trivial graph product group with infinite vertex groups. A sharper $C^*$-algebraic version of this statement is also obtained. In the process of proving these results we also extend the main $W^*$-superrigidity result from \cite{CIOS21} to direct products of property (T) wreath-like product groups.

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arXiv2023

Invariant subalgebras of von Neumann algebras arising from negatively curved groups

Using an interplay between geometric methods in group theory and soft von Neuman algebraic techniques we prove that for any icc, acylindrically hyperbolic group $Γ$ its von Neumann algebra $L(Γ)$ satisfies the so-called ISR property: \emph{any von Neumann subalgebra $N\subseteq L(Γ)$ that is normalized by all group elements in $Γ$ is of the form $N= L(Σ)$ for a normal subgroup $Σ\lhd Γ$.} In particular, this applies to all groups $Γ$ in each of the following classes: all icc (relatively) hyperbolic groups, most mapping class groups of surfaces, all outer automorphisms of free groups with at least three generators, most graph product groups arising from simple graphs without visual splitting, etc. This result answers positively an open question of Amrutam and Jiang from \cite{AJ22}. In the second part of the paper we obtain similar results for factors associated with groups that admit nontrivial (quasi)cohomology valued into various natural representations. In particular, we establish the ISR property for all icc, nonamenable groups that have positive first $L^2$-Betti number and contain an infinite amenable subgroup.

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arXiv2022

New examples of W$^*$ and C$^*$-superrigid groups

A group $G$ is called $W^*$-superrigid (resp. $C^*$-superrigid) if it is completely recognizable from its von Neumann algebra $L(G)$ (resp. reduced $C^*$-algebra $C_r^*(G)$). Developing new technical aspects in Popa's deformation/rigidity theory we introduce several new classes of $W^*$-superrigid groups which appear as direct products, semidirect products with non-amenable core and iterations of amalgamated free products and HNN-extensions. As a byproduct we obtain new rigidity results in $C^*$-algebra theory including additional examples of $C^*$-superrigid groups and explicit computations of symmetries of reduced group $C^*$-algebras.

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arXiv2022

Rigidity for von Neumann algebras of graph product groups. I. Structure of automorphisms

In this paper we study various rigidity aspects of the von Neumann algebra $L(\Gamma)$ where $\Gamma$ is a graph product group \cite{Gr90} whose underlying graph is a certain cycle of cliques and the vertex groups are the wreath-like product property (T) groups introduced recently in \cite{CIOS21}. Using an approach that combines methods from Popa's deformation/rigidity theory with new techniques pertaining to graph product algebras, we describe all symmetries of these von Neumann algebras and reduced C$^*$-algebras by establishing formulas in the spirit of Genevois and Martin's results on automorphisms of graph product groups \cite{GM19}.

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arXiv2022

Tensor product indecomposability results for existentially closed factors

In the first part of the paper we survey several results from Popa's deformation/rigidity theory on the classification of tensor product decompositions of large natural classes of II$_1$ factors. Using a mélange of techniques from deformation/rigidity theory, model theory, and the recent works \cite{CIOS21,CDI22} we highlight an uncountable family of existentially closed II$_1$ factors $M$ which do not admit tensor product decompositions $M= P\bar \otimes Q$ into diffuse factors where $Q$ is full. In the last section we discuss several open problems regarding the structural theory of existentially closed factors.

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arXiv2022

Embedding universality for II$_1$ factors with property (T)

We prove that every separable tracial von Neumann algebra embeds into a II$_1$ factor with property (T) which can be taken to have trivial outer automorphism and fundamental groups. We also establish an analogous result for the trivial extension over a non-atomic probability space of every countable p.m.p. equivalence relation. These results are obtained by using the class of wreath-like product groups introduced recently in \cite{CIOS21}.

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arXiv2021

Some Applications of Group Theoretic Rips Constructions to the Classification of von Neumann Algebras

In this paper we study various von Neumann algebraic rigidity aspects for the property (T) groups that arise via the Rips construction developed by Belegradek and Osin in geometric group theory \cite{BO06}. Specifically, developing a new interplay between Popa's deformation/rigidity theory \cite{Po07} and geometric group theory methods we show that several algebraic features of these groups are completely recognizable from the von Neumann algebraic structure. In particular, we obtain new infinite families of pairwise non-isomorphic property (T) group factors thereby providing positive evidence towards Connes' Rigidity Conjecture. In addition, we use the Rips construction to build examples of property (T) II$_1$ factors which posses maximal von Neumann subalgebras without property (T) which answers a question raised in an earlier version of \cite{JS19} by Y. Jiang and A. Skalski.

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arXiv2021

$W^*$ and $C^*$-superrigidity results for coinduced groups

In this paper we explore a generic notion of superrigidity for von Neumann algebras $L(G)$ and reduced $C^*$-algebras $C^*_r(G)$ associated with countable discrete groups $G$. This allows us to classify these algebras for various new classes of groups $G$ from the realm of coinduced groups.

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arXiv2020

Examples of property (T) II$_1$ factors with trivial fundamental group

In this article we provide the first examples of property (T) $\rm II_1$ factors $\mathcal N$ with trivial fundamental group, $\mathcal F (\mathcal N)=1$. Our examples arise as group factors $\mathcal N=\mathcal L(G)$ where $G$ belong to two distinct families of property (T) groups previously studied in the literature: the groups introduced by Valette in \cite{Va04} and the ones introduced recently in \cite{CDK19} using the Belegradek-Osin Rips construction from \cite{BO06}. In particular, our results provide a continuum of explicit pairwise non-isomorphic property (T) factors.

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arXiv2019

Rigidity results for von Neumann algebras arising from mixing extensions of profinite actions of groups on probability spaces

Motivated by Popa's seminal work \cite{Po04}, in this paper, we provide a fairly large class of examples of group actions $Γ\curvearrowright X$ satisfying the extended Neshveyev-Størmer rigidity phenomenon \cite{NS03}: whenever $Λ\curvearrowright Y$ is a free ergodic pmp action and there is a $\ast$-isomorphism $Θ:L^\infty(X)\rtimes Γ\rightarrow L^\infty(Y)\rtimes Λ$ such that $Θ(L(Γ))=L(Λ)$ then the actions $Γ\curvearrowright X$ and $Λ\curvearrowright Y$ are conjugate (in a way compatible with $Θ$). We also obtain a complete description of the intermediate subalgebras of all (possibly non-free) compact extensions of group actions in the same spirit as the recent results of Suzuki \cite{Suzuki}. This yields new consequences to the study of rigidity for crossed product von Neumann algebras and to the classification of subfactors of finite Jones index.

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