arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Sorin Popa.
We consider several weaker versions of the notion of conjugacy and orbit equivalence of measure preserving actions of countable groups on probability spaces, involving equivalence of the ultrapower actions and asymptotic intertwining conditions. We compare them with the other existing equivalence relations between group actions, and study the usual type of rigidity questions around these new concepts (superrigidity, calculation of invariants, etc).
We prove that if $A$ is a singular MASA in a II$_1$ factor $M$ and $ω$ is a free ultrafilter, then for any $x\in M\ominus A$, with $\|x\|\leq 1$, and any $n\geq 2$, there exists a partition of $1$ with projections $p_1, p_2, ..., p_n\in A^ω$ (i.e. a {\it paving}) such that $\|Σ_{i=1}^n p_i x p_i\|\leq 2\sqrt{n-1}/n$, and give examples where this is sharp. Some open problems on optimal pavings are discussed.
We develop a representation theory for $λ$-lattices, arising as standard invariants of subfactors, and for rigid C*-tensor categories, including a definition of their universal C*-algebra. We use this to give a systematic account of approximation and rigidity properties for subfactors and tensor categories, like (weak) amenability, the Haagerup property and property (T). We determine all unitary representations of the Temperley-Lieb-Jones $λ$-lattices and prove that they have the Haagerup property and the complete metric approximation property. We also present the first subfactors with property (T) standard invariant and that are not constructed from property (T) groups.
We consider a paving property for a maximal abelian *-subalgebra (MASA) $A$ in a von Neumann algebra $M$, that we call so-paving, involving approximation in the so-topology, rather than in norm (as in classical Kadison-Singer paving). If $A$ is the range of a normal conditional expectation, then so-paving is equivalent to norm paving in the ultrapower inclusion $A^ω\subset M^ω$. We conjecture that any MASA in any von Neumann algebra satisfies so-paving. We use [MSS13] to check this for all MASAs in $\mathcal B(\ell^2 \mathbb N)$, all Cartan subalgebras in amenable von Neumann algebras and in group measure space II$_1$ factors arising from profinite actions. By [P13], the conjecture also holds true for singular MASAs in II$_1$ factors, and we obtain here an improved paving size $C\varepsilon^{-2}$, which we show to be sharp.
We prove that, under rather general conditions, the 1-cohomology of a von Neumann algebra $M$ with values in a Banach $M$-bimodule satisfying a combination of smoothness and operatorial conditions, vanishes. For instance, we show that if $M$ acts normally on a Hilbert space $\Cal H$ and $\Cal B_0\subset \Cal B(\Cal H)$ is a norm closed $M$-bimodule such that any $T\in \Cal B_0$ is {\it smooth} (i.e. the left and right multiplication of $T$ by $x\in M$ are continuous from the unit ball of $M$ with the $s^*$-topology to $\Cal B_0$ with its norm), then any derivation of $M$ into $\Cal B_0$ is inner. The compact operators are smooth over any $M\subset \Cal B(\Cal H)$, but there is a large variety of non-compact smooth elements as well.
We prove that the continuous version of the Connes-Shlyakhtenko first L^2-cohomology for II_1 factors, as proposed by A. Thom in [Th06], always vanishes.
Let $M_n$ be a sequence of finite factors with $\dim(M_n)\rightarrow \infty$ and denote $\text{\bf M}=Π_ωM_n$ their ultraproduct over a free ultrafilter $ω$. We prove that if $\text{\bf Q}\subset \text{\bf M}$ is either an ultraproduct $\text{\bf Q}=Π_ωQ_n$ of subalgebras $Q_n\subset M_n$, with $Q_n \not\prec_{M_n} Q_n'\cap M_n$, $\forall n$, or the centralizer $\text{\bf Q}=B'\cap \text{\bf M}$ of a separable amenable *-subalgebra $B\subset \text{\bf M}$, then for any separable subspace $X\subset \text{\bf M}\ominus (\text{\bf Q}'\cap \text{\bf M})$, there exists a diffuse abelian von Neumann subalgebra in $\text{\bf Q}$ which is {\it free independent} to $X$, relative to $\text{\bf Q}'\cap \text{\bf M}$. Some related independence properties for subalgebras in ultraproduct II$_1$ factors are also discussed.
We show that the Kadison-Singer problem, asking whether the pure states of the diagonal subalgebra $\ell^\infty\Bbb N\subset \Cal B(\ell^2\Bbb N)$ have unique state extensions to $\Cal B(\ell^2\Bbb N)$, is equivalent to a similar statement in II$_1$ factor framework, concerning the ultrapower inclusion $D^ω\subset R^ω$, where $D$ is the Cartan subalgebra of the hyperfinite II$_1$ factor $R$, and $ω$ is a free ultraflter. While we do not settle the problem in this latter form, we prove that if $A$ is any singular maximal abelian subalgebra of $R$, then the inclusion $A^ω\subset R^ω$ does satisfy the Kadison-Singer property.
We prove that for any free ergodic probability measure preserving action \F_n \actson (X,μ) of a free group on n generators \F_n, 2 \leq n \leq \infty, the associated group measure space II_1 factor $L^\infty(X) \rtimes \F_n$ has L^\infty(X) as its unique Cartan subalgebra, up to unitary conjugacy. We deduce that group measure space II_1 factors arising from actions of free groups with different number of generators are never isomorphic. We actually prove unique Cartan decomposition results for II_1 factors arising from arbitrary actions of a rather large family of groups, including all free products of amenable groups and their direct products.
We prove that for any group G in a fairly large class of generalized wreath product groups, the associated von Neumann algebra L(G) completely "remembers" the group G. More precisely, if L(G) is isomorphic to the von Neumann algebra L(Λ) of an arbitrary countable group Λ, then Λ must be isomorphic to G. This represents the first superrigidity result pertaining to group von Neumann algebras.
We prove that for any free ergodic probability measure preserving action $Γ\actson (X,μ)$ of a non-elementary hyperbolic group, or a lattice in a rank one simple Lie group, the associated group measure space II_1 factor $L^\infty(X) \rtimes Γ$ has L^\infty(X) as its unique Cartan subalgebra, up to unitary conjugacy.
We prove the uniqueness of the group measure space Cartan subalgebra in crossed products A \rtimes Γcovering certain cases where Γis an amalgamated free product over a non-amenable subgroup. In combination with Kida's work we deduce that if Σ< SL(3,\Z) denotes the subgroup of matrices g with g_31 = g_32 = 0, then any free ergodic probability measure preserving action of Γ= SL(3,\Z) *_ΣSL(3,\Z) is stably W*-superrigid. In the second part we settle a technical issue about the unitary conjugacy of group measure space Cartan subalgebras.
We use deformation-rigidity theory in von Neumann algebra framework to study probability measure preserving actions by wreath product groups. In particular, we single out large families of wreath products groups satisfying various type of orbit equivalence (OE) rigidity. For instance, we show that whenever $H$, $K$, $\G$, $\La$ are icc, property (T) groups such that $H\wr \G$ is measure equivalent to $K\wr \La$ then automatically $\G$ is measure equivalent to $\La$ and $H^{\G}$ is measure equivalent to $K^{\La}$. Rigidity results for von Neumann algebras arising from certain actions of such groups (i.e. W$^*$-rigidity results) are also obtained.
Given a countable group G, we consider the sets S_factor(G), S_eqrel(G), of subgroups F of the positive real line for which there exists a free ergodic probability measure preserving action G on X such that the fundamental group of the associated II_1 factor, respectively orbit equivalence relation, equals F. We prove that if G is the free product of Z and infinitely many copies of a non-trivial group Γ, then S_factor(G) and S_eqrel(G) contain R_+ itself, all of its countable subgroups, as well as uncountable subgroups whose log can have any Hausdorff dimension in the interval (0,1). We then prove that if G=Γ*Λ, with Γ, Λfinitely generated ICC groups, one of which has property (T), then S_factor(G)=S_eqrel(G)={1}. We also show that there exist II_1 factors M such that the fundamental group of M is R_+, but the associated II_\infty factor M tensor B(l^2) admits no continuous trace scaling action of R_+.
We prove a "unique crossed product decomposition" result for group measure space II_1 factors arising from arbitrary free ergodic probability measure preserving (p.m.p.) actions of groups Γin a fairly large family G, which contains all free products of a Kazhdan group and a non-trivial group, as well as certain amalgamated free products over an amenable subgroup. We deduce that if T_n denotes the group of upper triangular matrices in PSL(n,Z), then any free, mixing p.m.p. action of the amalgamated free product of PSL(n,Z) with itself over T_n, is W*-superrigid, i.e. any isomorphism between L^\infty(X) \rtimes Γand an arbitrary group measure space factor L^\infty(Y) \rtimes Λ, comes from a conjugacy of the actions. We also prove that for many groups Γin the family G, the Bernoulli actions of Γare W*-superrigid.
We calculate Connes' invariant $χ(M)$ for certain II$_1$ factors $M$ that can be obtained as inductive limits of subfactors with spectral gap, then use this to answer a question he posed in 1975, on the structure of McDuff factors $M$ with $χ(M)=1$.
We consider II$_1$ factors $M$ which can be realized as inductive limits of subfactors, $N_n \nearrow M$, having spectral gap in $M$ and satisfying the bi-commutant condition $(N_n'\cap M)'\cap M=N_n$. Examples are the enveloping algebras associated to non-Gamma subfactors of finite depth, as well as certain crossed products of McDuff factors by amenable groups. We use deformation/rigidity techniques to obtain classification results for such factors.
We prove cocycle and orbit equivalence superrigidity for lattices in SL(n,R) acting linearly on R^n, as well as acting projectively on certain flag manifolds, including the real projective space. The proof combines operator algebraic techniques with the property (T) in the sense of Zimmer for the action of SL(n,Z) on R^n, n \geq 4. We also show that the restriction of the associated orbit equivalence relation to a subset of finite Lebesgue measure, provides a II_1 equivalence relation with property (T) and yet fundamental group equal to R_+.