Properly infinite C(X)-algebras and K_1-injectivity
Properly infinite C(X)-algebras and K1-injectivity
Etienne Blanchard, Randi Rohde and Mikael Rørdam
Abstract
We investigate if a unital C(X)-algebra is properly infinite when all its fibres are prop-
erly infinite. We show that this question can be rephrased in several different ways,
including the question if every unital properly infinite C∗-algebra is K1-injective.
We provide partial answers to these questions, and we show that the general ques-
tion on proper infiniteness of C(X)-algebras can be reduced to establishing proper
infiniteness of a specific C([0, 1])-algebra with properly infinite fibres.
1 Introduction
The problem that we mainly are concerned with in this paper is if any unital C(X)-algebra
with properly infinite fibres is itself properly infinite (see Section 2 for a brief introduction
to C(X)-algebras). An analogous study was carried out in the recent paper [8] where it
was decided when C(X)-algebras, whose fibres are either stable or absorb tensorially a
given strongly self-absorbing C∗-algebra, itself has the same property. This was answered
in the affirmative in [8] under the crucial assumption that the dimension of the space X is
finite, and counterexamples were given in the infinite dimensional case.
Along similar lines, Dadarlat, [5], recently proved that C(X)-algebras, whose fibres are
Cuntz algebras, are trivial under some K-theoretical conditions provided that the space X
is finite dimensional.
The property of being properly infinite turns out to behave very differently than the
property of being stable or of absorbing a strongly self-absorbing C∗-algebra. It is relative
easy to see (Lemma 2.10) that if a fibre Ax of a C(X)-algebra A is properly infinite, then
AF is properly infinite for some closed neighborhood F of x. The (possible) obstruction
to proper infiniteness of the C(X)-algebra is hence not local. Such an obstruction is also
not related to the possible complicated structure of the space X , as we can show that a
counterexample, if it exists, can be taken to be a (specific) C([0, 1])-algebra (Example 4.1
and Theorem 5.5). The problem appears to be related with some rather subtle internal
structure properties of properly infinite C∗-algebras.
Cuntz studied purely infinite—and in the process also properly infinite—C∗-algebras,
[4], where he among many other things (he was primarily interested in calculating the
http://arxiv.org/abs/0704.1554v1
K-theory of his algebras On) showed that any unital properly infinite C
∗-algebra A is K1-
surjective, i.e., the mapping U(A) → K1(A) is onto; and that any purely infinite simple
C∗-algebra A is K1-injective, i.e., the mapping U(A)/U
0(A) → K1(A) is injective (and
hence an isomorphism). He did not address the question if any properly infinite C∗-al-
gebra is K1-injective. That question has not been raised formally to our knowledge—we
do so here—but it does appear implicitly, eg. in [10] and in [14], where K1-injectivity of
properly infinite C∗-algebras has to be assumed.
Proper infiniteness of C∗-algebras has relevance for existence (or rather non-existence)
of traces and quasitraces. Indeed, a unital C∗-algebra admits a 2-quasitrace if and only if
no matrix algebra over the C∗-algebra is properly infinite, and a unital exact C∗-algebra
admits tracial state again if and only if no matrix algebra over the C∗-algebra is properly
infinite.
In this paper we show that every properly infinite C∗-algebra is K1-injective if and only
if every C(X)-algebra with properly infinite fibres itself is properly infinite. We also show
that a matrix algebra over any such C(X)-algebra is properly infinite. Examples of unital
C∗-algebras A, where Mn(A) is properly infinite for some natural number n ≥ 2 but where
Mn−1(A) is not properly infinite, are known, see [12] and [11], but still quite exotic.
We relate the question if a given properly infinite C∗-algebra isK1-injective to questions
regarding homotopy of projections (Proposition 5.1). In particular we show that our main
questions are equivalent to the following question: is any non-trivial projection in the first
copy of O∞ in the full unital universal free product O∞∗O∞ homotopic to any (non-trivial)
projection in the second copy of O∞? The specific C([0, 1])-algebra, mentioned above, is
perhaps not surprisingly a sub-algebra of C([0, 1],O∞ ∗ O∞).
Using ideas implicit in Rieffel’s paper, [9], we construct in Section 4 a C(T)-algebra
B for each C∗-algebra A and for each unitary u ∈ A for which diag(u, 1) is homotopic to
1M2(A); and B is non-trivial if u is not homotopic to 1A. In this way we relate our question
about proper infiniteness of C(X)-algebras to a question about K1-injectivity.
The last mentioned author thanks Bruce Blackadar for many inspiring conversations
on topics related to this paper.
2 C(X)-algebras with properly infinite fibres
A powerful tool in the classification of C∗-algebras is the study of their projections. A
projection in a C∗-algebra is said to be infinite if it is equivalent to a proper subprojection
of itself, and it is said to be properly infinite if it is equivalent to two mutually orthogonal
subprojections of itself.
A projection which is not infinite is said to be finite. A unital C∗-algebra is said
to be finite, infinite, or properly infinite if its unit is finite, infinite, or properly infinite,
respectively. If A is a C∗-algebra for which Mn(A) is finite for all positive integers n, then
A is stably finite.
In this section we will study stability properties of proper infiniteness under (upper-
semi-)continuous deformations using the Cuntz-Toeplitz algebra which is defined as follows.
For all integers n ≥ 2 the Cuntz-Toeplitz algebra Tn is the universal C
∗-algebra generated
by n isometries s1, . . . , sn satisfying the relation
1 + · · ·+ sns
n ≤ 1.
Remark 2.1 A unital C∗-algebra A is properly infinite if and only if Tn embeds unitally
into A for some n ≥ 2, in which case Tn embeds unitally into A for all n ≥ 2.
In order to study deformations of such algebras, let us recall a few notions from the theory
of C(X)-algebras.
Let X be a compact Hausdorff space and C(X) be the C∗-algebra of continuous func-
tions on X with values in the complex field C.
Definition 2.2 A C(X)-algebra is a C∗-algebra A endowed with a unital ∗-homomorphism
from C(X) to the center of the multiplier C∗-algebra M(A) of A.
If A is as above and Y ⊆ X is a closed subset, then we put IY = C0(X \ Y )A, which is a
closed two-sided ideal in A. We set AY = A/IY and denote the quotient map by πY .
For an element a ∈ A we put aY = πY (a), and if Y consists of a single point x, we will
write Ax, Ix, πx and ax in the place of A{x}, I{x}, π{x} and a{x}, respectively. We say that
Ax is the fibre of A at x.
The function
x 7→ ‖ax‖ = inf{‖ [1− f + f(x)]a‖ : f ∈ C(X)}
is upper semi-continuous for all a ∈ A (as one can see using the right-hand side identity
above). A C(X)-algebra A is said to be continuous (or to be a continuous C∗-bundle over
X) if the function x 7→ ‖ax‖ is actually continuous for all element a in A.
For any unital C∗-algebra A we let U(A) denote the group of unitary elements in A,
U0(A) denotes its connected component containing the unit of A, and Un(A) and U
are equal to U(Mn(A)) and U
0(Mn(A)), respectively.
An element in a C∗-algebra A is said to be full if it is not contained in any proper
closed two-sided ideal in A.
It is well-known (see for example [13, Exercise 4.9]) that if p is a properly infinite, full
projection in a C∗-algebra A, then e - p, i.e., e is equivalent to a subprojection of p, for
every projection e ∈ A.
We state below more formally three more or less well-known results that will be used
frequently throughout this paper, the first of which is due to Cuntz, [4].
Proposition 2.3 (Cuntz) Let A be a C∗-algebra which contains at least one properly
infinite, full projection.
(i) Let p and q be properly infinite, full projections in A. Then [p] = [q] in K0(A) if and
only if p ∼ q.
(ii) For each element g ∈ K0(A) there is a properly infinite, full projection p ∈ A such
that g = [p].
The second statement is a variation of the Whitehead lemma.
Lemma 2.4 Let A be a unital C∗-algebra.
(i) Let v be a partial isometry in A such that 1 − vv∗ and 1 − v∗v are properly infinite
and full projections. Then there is a unitary element u in A such that [u] = 0 in
K1(A) and v = uv
∗v, i.e., u extends v.
(ii) Let u be a unitary element A such that [u] = 0 in K1(A). Suppose there exists a
projection p ∈ A such that ‖up− pu‖ < 1 and p and 1 − p are properly infinite and
full. Then u belongs to U0(A).
Proof: (i). It follows from Proposition 2.3 (i) that 1 − v∗v ∼ 1 − vv∗, so there is a
partial isometry w such that 1 − v∗v = w∗w and 1 − vv∗ = ww∗. Now, z = v + w is
a unitary element in A with zv∗v = v. The projection 1 − v∗v is properly infinite and
full, so 1 - 1 − v∗v, which implies that there is an isometry s in A with ss∗ ≤ 1 − v∗v.
As −[z] = [z∗] = [sz∗s∗ + (1 − ss∗)] in K1(A) (see eg. [13, Exercise 8.9 (i)]), we see that
u = z(sz∗s∗ + (1− ss∗)) is as desired.
(ii). Put x = pup + (1 − p)u(1 − p) and note that ‖u − x‖ < 1. It follows that x is
invertible in A and that u ∼h x in GL(A). Let x = v|x| be the polar decomposition of
x, where |x| = (x∗x)1/2 and v = x|x|−1 is unitary. Then u ∼h v in U(A) (see eg. [13,
Proposition 2.1.8]), and pv = vp. We proceed to show that v belongs to U0(A) (which will
entail that u belongs to U0(A)).
Write v = v1v2, where
v1 = pvp+ (1− p), v2 = p+ (1− p)v(1− p).
As 1−p - p we can find a symmetry t in A such that t(1−p)t ≤ p. As t belongs to U0(A)
(being a symmetry), we conclude that v2 ∼h tv2t, and one checks that tv2t is of the form
w + (1− p) for some unitary w in pAp. It follows that v is homotopic to a unitary of the
form v0 + (1− p), where v0 is a unitary in pAp. We can now apply eg. [13, Exercise 8.11]
to conclude that v ∼h 1 in U(A). �
We remind the reader that if p, q are projections in a unital C∗-algebra A, then p and q are
homotopic, in symbols p ∼h q, (meaning that they can be connected by a continuous path
of projections in A) if and only if q = upu∗ for some u ∈ U0(A), eg. cf. [13, Proposition
2.2.6].
Proposition 2.5 Let A be a unital C∗-algebra. Let p and q be two properly infinite, full
projections in A such that p ∼ q. Suppose that there exists a properly infinite, full projection
r ∈ A such that p ⊥ r and q ⊥ r. Then p ∼h q.
Proof: Take a partial isometry v0 ∈ A such that v
0v0 = p and v0v
0 = q. Take a subpro-
jection r0 of r such that r0 and r− r0 both are properly infinite and full. Put v = v0 + r0.
Then vpv∗ = q and vr0 = r0 = r0v. Note that 1 − v
∗v and 1 − vv∗ are properly infi-
nite and full (because they dominate the properly infinite, full projection r − r0). Use
Lemma 2.4 (i) to extend v to a unitary u ∈ A with [u] = 0 in K1(A). Now, upu
∗ = q and
ur0 = vr0 = r0 = r0v = r0u. Hence u ∈ U
0(A) by Lemma 2.4 (ii), and so p ∼h q as desired.
Definition 2.6 A unital C∗-algebra A is said to be K1-injective if the natural mapping
U(A)/U0(A) → K1(A)
is injective. In other words, if A is K1-injective, and if u is a unitary element in A, then
u ∼h 1 in U(A) if (and only if) [u] = 0 in K1(A).
One could argue thatK1-injectivity should entail that the natural mappings Un(A)/U
n(A) →
K1(A) be injective for every natural number n. However there seem to be an agreement for
defining K1-injectivity as above. As we shall see later, in Proposition 5.2, if A is properly
infinite, then the two definitions agree.
Proposition 2.7 Let A be a unital C∗-algebra that is the pull-back of two unital, properly
infinite C∗-algebras A1 and A2 along the
∗-epimorphisms π1 : A1 → B and π2 : A2 → B:
}} ϕ2
π1   A
π2~~}}
Then M2(A) is properly infinite. Moreover, if B is K1-injective, then A itself is properly
infinite.
Proof: Take unital embeddings σi : T3 → Ai for i = 1, 2, where T3 is the Cuntz-Toeplitz
algebra (defined earlier), and put
(π1 ◦ σ1)(tj)(π2 ◦ σ2)(t
where t1, t2, t3 are the canonical generators of T3. Note that v is a partial isometry with
(π1 ◦ σ1)(tj) = v(π2 ◦ σ2)(tj) for j = 1, 2. As (π1 ◦ σ1)(t3t
3) ≤ 1− vv
∗ and (π2 ◦ σ2)(t3t
1−v∗v, Lemma 2.4 (i) yields a unitary u ∈ B with [u] = 0 in K1(B) and with (π1◦σ1)(tj) =
u(π2 ◦ σ2)(tj) for j = 1, 2.
If B is K1-injective, then u belongs to U
0(B), whence u lifts to a unitary v ∈ A2.
Define σ̃2 : T2 → A2 by σ̃2(tj) = vσ2(tj) for j = 1, 2 (observing that t1, t2 generate T2).
Then π1 ◦ σ1 = π2 ◦ σ̃2, which by the universal property of the pull-back implies that σ1
and σ̃2 lift to a (necessarily unital) embedding σ : T2 → A, thus forcing A to be properly
infinite.
In the general case (where B is not necessarily K1-injective) u may not lift to a unitary
element in A2, but diag(u, u) does lift to a unitary element v in M2(A2) by Lemma 2.4 (ii)
(applied with p = diag(1, 0)). Define unital embeddings σ̃i : T2 → M2(Ai), i = 1, 2, by
σ̃1(tj) =
σ1(tj) 0
0 σ1(tj)
, σ̃2(tj) = v
σ2(tj) 0
0 σ2(tj)
for j = 1, 2. As (π1 ⊗ idM2) ◦ σ̃1 = (π2 ⊗ idM2) ◦ σ̃2, the unital embeddings σ̃1 and σ̃2 lift
to a (necessarily unital) embedding of T2 into M2(A), thus completing the proof. �
Question 2.8 Is the pull-back of any two properly infinite unital C∗-algebras again prop-
erly infinite?
As mentioned in the introduction, one cannot in general conclude that A is properly infinite
if one knows that Mn(A) is properly infinite for some n ≥ 2.
One obvious way of obtaining an answer to Question 2.8, in the light of the last state-
ment in Proposition 2.7, is to answer the question below in the affirmative:
Question 2.9 Is every properly infinite unital C∗-algebra K1-injective?
We shall see later, in Section 5, that the two questions above in fact are equivalent.
The lemma below, which shall be used several times in this paper, shows that one can
lift proper infiniteness from a fibre of a C(X)-algebra to a whole neighborhood of that
fibre.
Lemma 2.10 Let X be a compact Hausdorff space, let A be a unital C(X)-algebra, let
x ∈ X, and suppose that the fibre Ax is properly infinite. Then AF is properly infinite for
some closed neighborhood F of x.
Proof: Let {Fλ}λ∈Λ be a decreasing net of closed neighborhoods of x ∈ X , fulfilling that⋂
λ∈Λ Fλ = {x}, and set Iλ = C0(X \Fλ)A. Then {Iλ}λ∈Λ is an increasing net of ideals in
A, AFλ = A/Iλ, I :=
λ∈Λ Iλ = C0(X\{x}), and Ax = A/I.
By the assumption that Ax is properly infinite there is a unital
∗-homomorphism
ψ : T2 → Ax, and since T2 is semi-projective there is a λ0 ∈ Λ and a unital
∗-homomorphism
ϕ : T2 → AFλ0 making the diagram
// Ax
commutative. We can thus take F to be Fλ0 . �
Theorem 2.11 Let A be a unital C(X)-algebra where X is a compact Hausdorff space.
If all fibres Ax, x ∈ X, are properly infinite, then some matrix algebra over A is properly
infinite.
Proof: By Lemma 2.10, X can be covered by finitely many closed sets F1, F2, . . . , Fn
such that AFj is properly infinite for each j. Put Gj = F1 ∪ F2 ∪ · · · ∪ Fj . For each
j = 1, 2, . . . , n− 1 we have a pull-back diagram
AGj+1
yyrrr
AFj+1
AGj∩Fj+1
We know that M2j−1(AGj ) is properly infinite when j = 1. Proposition 2.7 (applied to
the diagram above tensored with M2j−1(C)) tells us that M2j (AGj+1) is properly infinite if
M2j−1(AGj) is properly infinite. Hence M2n−1(A) is properly infinite. �
Remark 2.12 Uffe Haagerup has suggested another way to prove Theorem 2.11: If no
matrix-algebra over A is properly infinite, then there exists a bounded non-zero lower
semi-continuous 2-quasi-trace on A, see [7] and [1, page 327], and hence also an extremal
2-quasi-trace. Now, if A is also a C(X)-algebra for some compact Hausdorff space X , this
implies that there is a bounded non-zero lower semi-continuous 2-quasitrace on Ax for (at
least) one point x ∈ X (see eg. [8, Proposition 3.7]). But then the fibre Ax cannot be
properly infinite.
Question 2.13 Is any unital C(X)-algebra A properly infinite if all its fibres Ax, x ∈ X ,
are properly infinite?
We shall show in Section 5 that the question above is equivalent to Question 2.8 which
again is equivalent to Question 2.9.
3 Lower semi-continuous fields of properly infinite C∗-
algebras
Let us briefly discuss whether the results from Section 2 can be extended to lower semi-
continuous C∗-bundles (A, {σx}) over a compact Hausdorff space X . Recall that any such
separable lower semi-continuous C∗-bundle admits a faithful C(X)-linear representation on
a Hilbert C(X)-module E such that, for all x ∈ X , the fibre σx(A) is isomorphic to the
induced image of A in L(Ex), [2]. Thus, the problem boils down to the following: Given a
separable Hilbert C(X)-module E with infinite dimensional fibres Ex, such that the unit
p of the C∗-algebra LC(X)(E) of bounded adjointable C(X)-linear operators acting on E
has a properly infinite image in L(Ex) for all x ∈ X . Is the projection p itself properly
infinite in LC(X)(E)?
Dixmier and Douady proved that this is always the case if the space X has finite
topological dimension, [6]. But it does not hold anymore in the infinite dimensional case,
see [6, §16, Corollaire 1] and [11], not even if X is contractible, [3, Corollary 3.7].
4 Two examples
We describe here two examples of continuous fields; the first is over the interval and the
second (which really is a class of examples) is over the circle.
Example 4.1 Let (O∞ ∗O∞, (ι1, ι2)) be the universal unital free product of two copies of
O∞, and let A be the unital sub-C
∗-algebra of C([0, 1],O∞ ∗ O∞) given by
A = {f ∈ C([0, 1],O∞ ∗ O∞) : f(0) ∈ ι1(O∞), f(1) ∈ ι2(O∞)}.
Observe that A (in a canonical way) is a C([0, 1])-algebra with fibres
ι1(O∞), t = 0,
O∞ ∗ O∞, 0 < t < 1,
ι2(O∞), t = 1
O∞, t = 0,
O∞ ∗ O∞, 0 < t < 1,
O∞, t = 1.
In particular, all fibres of A are properly infinite.
One claim to fame of the example above is that the question below is equivalent to Ques-
tion 2.13 above. Hence, to answer Question 2.13 in the affirmative (or in the negative)
we need only consider the case where X = [0, 1], and we need only worry about this one
particular C([0, 1])-algebra (which of course is bad enough!).
Question 4.2 Is the C([0, 1])-algebra A from Example 4.1 above properly infinite?
The three equivalent statements in the proposition below will in Section 5 be shown to be
equivalent to Question 4.2.
Proposition 4.3 The following three statements concerning the C([0, 1])-algebra A and
the C∗-algebra (O∞ ∗ O∞, (ι1, ι2)) defined above are equivalent:
(i) A contains a non-trivial projection (i.e., a projection other than 0 and 1).
(ii) There are non-zero projections p, q ∈ O∞ such that p 6= 1, q 6= 1, and ι1(p) ∼h ι2(q).
(iii) Let s be any isometry in O∞. Then ι1(ss
∗) ∼h ι2(ss
∗) in O∞ ∗ O∞.
We warn the reader that all three statements above could be false.
Proof: (i) ⇒ (ii). Let e be a non-trivial projection in A. Let πt : A → At, t ∈ [0, 1],
denote the fibre map. As A ⊆ C([0, 1],O∞ ∗ O∞), the mapping t 7→ πt(e) ∈ O∞ ∗ O∞
is continuous, so in particular, π0(e) ∼h π1(e) in O∞ ∗ O∞. The mappings ι1 and ι2 are
injective, so there are projections p, q ∈ O∞ such that π0(e) = ι1(p) and π1(e) = ι2(q). The
projections p and q are non-zero because the mapping t 7→ ‖πt(e)‖ is continuous and not
constant equal to 0. Similarly, and 1− p and 1− q are non-zero because 1− e is non-zero.
(ii) ⇒ (iii). Take non-trivial projections p, q ∈ O∞ such that ι1(p) ∼h ι2(q). Take a
unitary v in U0(O∞∗O∞) with ι2(q) = vι1(p)v
∗. Let s ∈ O∞ be an isometry. If s is unitary,
then ι1(ss
∗) = 1 = ι2(ss
∗) and there is nothing to prove. Suppose that s is non-unitary.
Then ss∗ is homotopic to a subprojection p0 of p and to a subprojection q0 of q (use that p
and q are properly infinite and full, then Lemma 2.4 (i), and last the fact that the unitary
group of O∞ is connected). Hence ι1(ss
∗) ∼h ι1(p0) ∼h vι1(p0)v
∗ and ι2(ss
∗) ∼h ι2(q0),
so we need only show that vι1(p0)v
∗ ∼h ι2(q0). But this follows from Proposition 2.5 with
r = 1− ι2(q) = ι2(1− q), as we note that p0 ∼ 1 ∼ q0 in O∞, whence
ι2(q0) ∼ ι2(1) = 1 = ι1(1) ∼ ι1(p0) ∼ vι1(p0)v
(iii) ⇒ (i). Take a non-unitary isometry s ∈ O∞. Then ι1(ss
∗) ∼h ι2(ss
∗), and so there
is a continuous function e : [0, 1] → O∞ ∗O∞ such that e(t) is a projection for all t ∈ [0, 1],
e(0) = ι1(ss
∗) and e(1) = ι2(ss
∗). But then e is a non-trivial projection in A. �
It follows from Theorem 2.11 that some matrix algebra over A (from Example 4.1) is
properly infinite. We can sharpen that statement as follows:
Proposition 4.4 M2(A) is properly infinite; and if O∞ ∗O∞ is K1-injective, then A itself
is properly infinite.
It follows from Theorem 5.5 below that A is properly infinite if and only if O∞ ∗ O∞ is
K1-injective.
Proof: We have a pull-back diagram
A[0, 1
π1/2 %%KK
π1/2yysss
O∞ ∗ O∞
One can unitally embed O∞ into A[0, 1
] via ι1, so A[0, 1
] is properly infinite, and a similar
argument shows that A[ 1
,1] is properly infinite. The two statements now follow from
Proposition 2.7. �
The example below, which will be the focus of the rest of this section, and in parts also of
Section 5, is inspired by arguments from Rieffel’s paper [9].
Example 4.5 Let A be a unital C∗-algebra, and let v be a unitary element in A such that
in U2(A).
Let t 7→ ut be a continuous path of unitaries in U2(A) such that u0 = 1 and u1 = diag(v, 1).
p(t) = ut
u∗t ∈M2(A),
and note that p(0) = p(1). Identifying, for each C∗-algebra D, C(T, D) with the algebra
of all continuous functions f : [0, 1] → D such that f(1) = f(0), we see that p belongs to
C(T,M2(A)). Put
B = pC(T,M2(A))p,
and note that B is a unital (sub-trivial) C(T)-algebra, being a corner of the trivial C(T)-
algebra C(T,M2(A)). The fibres of B are
Bt = p(t)M2(A)p(t) ∼= A
for all t ∈ T.
Summing up, for each unital C∗-algebraA, for each unitary v inA for which diag(v, 1) ∼h
1 in U2(A), and for each path t 7→ ut ∈ U2(A) implementing this homotopy we get a C(T)-
algebra B with fibres Bt ∼= A. We shall investigate this class of C(T)-algebras below.
Lemma 4.6 In the notation of Example 4.5,
− p ∼
in C(T,M2(A)).
In particular, p is stably equivalent to diag(1, 0).
Proof: Put
vt = ut
, t ∈ [0, 1].
v0 = u0
, v1 = u1
so v belongs to C(T,M2(A)). It is easy to see that v
t vt = diag(0, 1) and vtv
t = 1 − p(t),
and so the lemma is proved. �
Proposition 4.7 Let A, v ∈ U(A), and B be as in Example 4.5. Conditions (i) and (ii)
below are equivalent for any unital C∗-algebra A, and all three conditions are equivalent if
A in addition is assumed to be properly infinite.
(i) v ∼h 1 in U(A).
(ii) p ∼ diag(1A, 0) in C(T,M2(A)).
(iii) The C(T)-algebra B is properly infinite.
Proof: (ii) ⇒ (i). Suppose that p ∼ diag(1, 0) in C(T,M2(A)). Then there is a w ∈
C(T,M2(A)) such that
and w∗twt = pt
for all t ∈ [0, 1] and w1 = w0 (as we identify C(T,M2(A)) with the set of continuous
functions f : [0, 1] → M2(A) with f(1) = f(0)). Upon replacing wt with w
0wt we can
assume that w1 = w0 = diag(1, 0). Now, with t 7→ ut as in Example 4.5,
where t 7→ at is a continuous path of unitaries in A. Because u0 = diag(1, 1) and u1 =
diag(v, 1) we see that a0 = 1 and a1 = v, whence v ∼h 1 in U(A).
(i) ⇒ (ii). Suppose conversely that v ∼h 1 in U(A). Then we can find a continuous
path t 7→ vt ∈ U(A), t ∈ [1 − ε, 1], such that v1−ε = v and v1 = 1 for an ε > 0 (to be
determined below). Again with t 7→ ut as in Example 4.5, define
ũt =
u(1−ε)−1t, 0 ≤ t ≤ 1− ε,
diag(vt, 1), 1− ε ≤ t ≤ 1.
Then t 7→ ũt is a continuous path of unitaries in U2(A) such that ũ1−ε = u1 = diag(v, 1)
and ũ0 = ũ1 = 1. It follows that ũ belongs to C(T,M2(A)). Provided that ε > 0 is chosen
small enough we obtain the following inequality:
∥∥∥∥ũt
ũ∗t − p(t)
∥∥∥∥ =
∥∥∥∥ũt
ũ∗t − ut
∥∥∥∥ < 1
for all t ∈ [0, 1], whence p ∼ ũ diag(1, 0) ũ∗ ∼ diag(1, 0) as desired.
(iii) ⇒ (ii). Suppose that B is properly infinite. From Lemma 4.6 we know that
[p] = [diag(1A, 0)] in K0(C(T, A)). Because B and A are properly infinite, it follows that p
and diag(1A, 0) are properly infinite (and full) projections, and hence they are equivalent
by Proposition 2.3 (i).
(ii) ⇒ (iii). Since A is properly infinite, diag(1A, 0) and hence p (being equivalent to
diag(1A, 0)) are properly infinite (and full) projections, whence B is properly infinite. �
We will now use (the ideas behind) Lemma 4.6 and Proposition 4.7 to prove the following
general statement about C∗-algebras.
Corollary 4.8 Let A be a unital C∗-algebra such that C(T, A) has the cancellation prop-
erty. Then A is K1-injective.
Proof: It suffices to show that the natural maps Un−1(A)/U
n−1(A) → Un(A)/U
n(A) are
injective for all n ≥ 2. Let v ∈ Un−1(A) be such that diag(v, 1A) ∈ U
n(A) and find a
continuous path of unitaries t 7→ ut in Un(A) such that
u0 = 1Mn(A) =
1Mn−1(A) 0
and u1 =
pt = ut
1Mn−1(A) 0
u∗t , t ∈ [0, 1],
and note that p0 = p1 so that p defines a projection in C(T,Mn(A)). Repeating the
proof of Lemma 4.6 we find that 1Mn(A) − p ∼ diag(0, 1A) in C(T,Mn(A)), whence p ∼
diag(1Mn−1(A), 0) by the cancellation property of C(T, A), where we identify projections in
Mn(A) with constant projections in C(T,Mn(A)). The arguments going into the proof of
Proposition 4.7 show that v ∼h 1Mn−1(A) in Un−1(A) if (and only if) p ∼ diag(1Mn−1(A), 0).
Hence v belongs to U0n−1(A) as desired. �
5 K1-injectivity of properly infinite C
∗-algebras
In this section we prove our main result that relate K1-injectivity of arbitrary unital prop-
erly infinite C∗-algebras to proper infiniteness of C(X)-algebras and pull-back C∗-algebras.
More specifically we shall show that Question 2.9, Question 2.13, Question 2.8, and Ques-
tion 4.2 are equivalent.
First we reformulate in two different ways the question if a given properly infinite unital
C∗-algebra is K1-injective.
Proposition 5.1 The following conditions are equivalent for any unital properly infinite
C∗-algebra A:
(i) A is K1-injective.
(ii) Let p, q be projections in A such that p ∼ q and p, q, 1−p, 1−q are properly infinite
and full. Then p ∼h q.
(iii) Let p and q be properly infinite, full projections in A. There exist properly infinite,
full projections p0, q0 ∈ A such that p0 ≤ p, q0 ≤ q, and p0 ∼h q0.
Proof: (i) ⇒ (ii). Let p, q be properly infinite, full projections in A with p ∼ q such that
1− p, 1− q are properly infinite and full. Then by Lemma 2.4 (i) there is a unitary v ∈ A
such that vpv∗ = q and [v] = 0 in K1(A). By the assumption in (i), v ∈ U
0(A), whence
p ∼h q.
(ii) ⇒ (i). Let u ∈ U(A) be such that [u] = 0 in K1(A). Take, as we can, a projection
p in A such that p and 1 − p are properly infinite and full. Set q = upu∗. Then p ∼h q by
(ii), and so there exists a unitary v ∈ U0(A) with p = vqv∗. It follows that
pvu = vqv∗vu = v(upu∗)v∗vu = vup.
Therefore vu ∈ U0(A) by Lemma 2.4 (ii), which in turn implies that u ∈ U0(A).
(ii) ⇒ (iii). Let p, q be properly infinite and full projections in A. There exist mutually
orthogonal projections e1, f1 such that e1 ≤ p, f1 ≤ p and e1 ∼ p ∼ f1, and mutually
orthogonal projections e2, f2 such that e2 ≤ q, f2 ≤ q and e2 ∼ q ∼ f2. Being equivalent
to either p or q, the projections e1, e2, f1 and f2 are properly infinite and full. There are
properly infinite, full projections p0 ≤ e1 and q0 ≤ e2 such that [p0] = [q0] = 0 in K0(A)
and p0 ∼ q0 (cf. Proposition 2.3). As f1 ≤ 1 − p0 and f2 ≤ 1− q0, we see that 1 − p0 and
1− q0 are properly infinite and full, and so we get p0 ∼h q0 by (ii).
(iii) ⇒ (ii). Let p, q be equivalent properly infinite, full projections in A such that
1 − p, 1 − q are properly infinite and full. From (iii) we get properly infinite and full
projections p0 ≤ p, q0 ≤ q which satisfy p0 ∼h q0. Thus there is a unitary v ∈ U0(A)
such that vp0v
∗ = q0. Upon replacing p by vpv
∗ (as we may do because p ∼h vpv
∗) we
can assume that q0 ≤ p and q0 ≤ q. Now, q0 is orthogonal to 1 − p and to 1 − q, and so
1− p ∼h 1− q by Proposition 2.5, whence p ∼h q. �
Proposition 5.2 Let A be a unital properly infinite C∗-algebra. The following conditions
are equivalent:
(i) A is K1-injective, ie., the natural map U(A)/U
0(A) → K1(A) is injective.
(ii) The natural map U(A)/U0(A) → U2(A)/U
2 (A) is injective.
(iii) The natural maps Un(A)/U
n(A) → K1(A) are injective for each natural number n.
Proof: (i) ⇒ (ii) holds because the map U(A)/U0(A) → K1(A) factors through the map
U(A)/U0(A) → U2(A)/U
2 (A).
(ii)⇒ (i). Take u ∈ U(A) and suppose that [u] = 0 inK1(A). Then diag(u, 1A) ∈ U
2 (A)
by Lemma 2.4 (ii) (with p = diag(1A, 0)). Hence u ∈ U0(A) by injectivity of the map
U(A)/U0(A) → U2(A)/U
2 (A).
(i) ⇒ (iii). Let n ≥ 1 be given and consider the natural maps
U(A)/U0(A) → Un(A)/U
n(A) → K1(A).
The first map is onto, as proved by Cuntz in [4], see also [13, Exercise 8.9], and the
composition of the two maps is injective by assumption, hence the second map is injective.
(iii) ⇒ (i) is trivial. �
We give below another application of K1-injectivity for properly infinite C
∗-algebras. First
we need a lemma:
Lemma 5.3 Let A be a unital, properly infinite C∗-algebra, and let ϕ, ψ : O∞ → A be
unital embeddings. Then ψ is homotopic to a unital embedding ψ′ : O∞ → A for which
there is a unitary u ∈ A with [u] = 0 in K1(A) and for which ψ
′(sj) = uϕ(sj) for all j
(where s1, s2, . . . are the canonical generators of O∞).
Proof: For each n set
ψ(sj)ϕ(sj)
∗ ∈ A, en =
j ∈ O∞.
Then vn is a partial isometry in A with vnv
n = ψ(en), v
nvn = ϕ(en), and ψ(sj) = vnϕ(sj)
for j = 1, 2, . . . , n. Since 1− en is full and properly infinite it follows from Lemma 2.4 that
each vn extends to a unitary un ∈ A with [un] = 0 in K1(A). In particular, ψ(sj) = unϕ(sj)
for j = 1, 2, . . . , n.
We proceed to show that n 7→ un extends to a continuous path of unitaries t 7→ ut, for
t ∈ [2,∞), such that utϕ(en) = unϕ(en) for t ≥ n + 1. Fix n ≥ 2. To this end it suffices
to show that we can find a continuous path t 7→ zt, t ∈ [0, 1], of unitaries in A such that
z0 = 1, z1 = u
nun+1, and ztϕ(en−1) = ϕ(en−1) (as we then can set ut to be unzt−n for
t ∈ [n, n+ 1]).
Observe that
un+1ϕ(en) = vn+1ϕ(en) = vn = unϕ(en).
Set A0 = (1 − ϕ(en−1))A(1 − ϕ(en−1)), and set y = u
nun+1(1 − ϕ(en−1)). Then y is a
unitary element in A0 and [y] = 0 in K1(A0). Moreover, y commutes with the properly
infinite full projection ϕ(en) − ϕ(en−1) ∈ A0. We can therefore use Lemma 2.4 to find a
continuous path t 7→ yt of unitaries in A0 such that y0 = 1A0 = 1 − ϕ(en−1) and y1 = y.
The continuous path t 7→ zt = yt + ϕ(en−1) is then as desired.
For each t ≥ 2 let ψt : O∞ → A be the
∗-homomorphism given by ψt(sj) = utϕ(sj).
Then ψt(sj) = ψ(sj) for all t ≥ j + 1, and so it follows that
ψt(x) = ψ(x)
for all x ∈ O∞. Hence ψ2 is homotopic to ψ, and so we can take ψ
′ to be ψ2. �
Proposition 5.4 Any two unital ∗-homomorphisms from O∞ into a unital K1-injective
(properly infinite) C∗-algebra are homotopic.
Proof: In the light of Lemma 5.3 it suffices to show that if ϕ, ψ : O∞ → A are unital
homomorphisms such that, for some unitary u ∈ A with [u] = 0 in K1(A), ψ(sj) = uϕ(sj)
for all j, then ψ ∼h ϕ. By assumption, u ∼h 1, so there is a continuous path t 7→ ut of
unitaries in A such that u0 = 1 and u1 = u. Letting ϕt : O∞ → A be the
∗-homomorphism
given by ϕt(sj) = utϕ(sj) for all j, we get t 7→ ϕt is a continuous path of
∗-homomorphisms
connecting ϕ0 = ϕ to ϕ1 = ψ. �
Our main theorem below, which in particular implies that Question 2.9, Question 2.13,
Question 2.8 and Question 4.2 all are equivalent, also give a special converse to Proposi-
tion 5.4: Indeed, with ι1, ι2 : O∞ → O∞ ∗O∞ the two canonical inclusions, if ι1 ∼h ι2, then
condition (iv) below holds, whence O∞ ∗ O∞ is K1-injective, which again implies that all
unital properly infinite C∗-algebras are K1-injective. Below we retain the convention that
O∞ ∗ O∞ is the universal unital free product of two copies of O∞ and that ι1 and ι2 are
the two natural inclusions of O∞ into O∞ ∗ O∞.
Theorem 5.5 The following statements are equivalent:
(i) Every unital, properly infinite C∗-algebra is K1-injective.
(ii) For every compact Hausdorff space X, every unital C(X)-algebra A, for which Ax is
properly infinite for all x ∈ X, is properly infinite.
(iii) Every unital C∗-algebra A, that is the pull-back of two unital, properly infinite C∗-
algebras A1 and A2 along
∗-epimorphisms π1 : A1 → B, π2 : A2 → B:
}} ϕ2
π1   A
π2~~}}
is properly infinite.
(iv) There exist non-zero projections p, q ∈ O∞ such that p 6= 1, q 6= 1, and ι1(p) ∼h ι2(p)
in O∞ ∗ O∞.
(v) The specific C([0, 1])-algebra A considered in Example 4.1 (and whose fibres are prop-
erly infinite) is properly infinite.
(vi) O∞ ∗ O∞ is K1-injective.
Note that statement (i) is reformulated in Propositions 5.1, 5.2, and 5.4; and that statement
(iv) is reformulated in Proposition 4.3. We warn the reader that all these statements may
turn out to be false (in which case, of course, there will be counterexamples to all of them).
Proof: (i) ⇒ (iii) follows from Proposition 2.7.
(iii) ⇒ (ii). This follows from Lemma 2.10 as in the proof of Theorem 2.11, except that
one does not need to pass to matrix algebras.
(ii) ⇒ (i). Suppose that A is unital and properly infinite. Take a unitary v ∈ U(A)
such that diag(v, 1) ∈ U02 (A). Let B be the C(T)-algebra constructed in Example 4.5 from
A, v, and a path of unitaries t 7→ ut connecting 1M2(A) to diag(v, 1). Then Bt
∼= A for all
t ∈ T, so all fibres of B are properly infinite. Assuming (ii), we can conclude that B is
properly infinite. Proposition 4.7 then yields that v ∈ U0(A). It follows that the natural
map U(A)/U0(A) → U2(A)/U
2 (A) is injective, whence A is K1-injective by Proposition 5.2.
(ii) ⇒ (v) is trivial (because A is a C([0, 1])-algebra with properly infinite fibres).
(v) ⇒ (iv) follows from Proposition 4.3.
(iv) ⇒ (i). We show that Condition (iii) of Proposition 4.3 implies Condition (iii) of
Proposition 5.1.
Let A be a properly infinite C∗-algebra and let p, q be properly infinite, full projections
in A. Then there exist (properly infinite, full) projections p0 ≤ p and q0 ≤ q such that
p0 ∼ 1 ∼ q0 and such that 1−p0 and 1−q0 are properly infinite and full, cf. Propositions 2.3.
Take isometries t1, r1 ∈ A with t1t
1 = p0 and r1r
1 = q0; use the fact that 1 - 1 − p0 and
1 - 1− q0 to find sequences of isometries t2, t3, t4, . . . and r2, r3, r4, . . . in A such that each
of the two sequences {tjt
j=1 and {rjr
j=1 consist of pairwise orthogonal projections.
By the universal property of O∞ there are unital
∗-homomorphisms ϕj : O∞ → A,
j = 1, 2, such that ϕ1(sj) = tj and ϕ2(sj) = rj, where s1, s2, s3, . . . are the canonical
generators of O∞. In particular,
ϕ1(s1s
1) = p0 and ϕ2(s1s
1) = q0.
By the property of the universal unital free products of C∗-algebras, there is a unique
unital ∗-homomorphism ϕ : O∞ ∗ O∞ → A making the diagram
O∞ ∗ O∞
ϕ1 %%KK
99ssssssssss
ϕ2yysss
eeKKKKKKKKKK
commutative. It follows that p0 = ϕ(ι1(s1s
1)) and q0 = ϕ(ι2(s1s
1)). By Condition (iii) of
Proposition 4.3, ι1(s1s
1) ∼h ι2(s1s
1) in O∞ ∗ O∞, whence p0 ∼h q0 as desired.
(i) ⇒ (vi) is trivial.
(vi) ⇒ (v) follows from Proposition 4.4. �
6 Concluding remarks
We do not know if all unital properly infinite C∗-algebras are K1-injective, but we observe
that K1-injectivity is assured in the presence of certain central sequences:
Proposition 6.1 Let A be a unital properly infinite C∗-algebras that contains an asymp-
totically central sequence {pn}
n=1, where pn and 1−pn are properly infinite, full projections
for all n. Then A is K1-injective
Proof: This follows immediately from Lemma 2.4 (ii). �
It remains open if arbitrary C(X)-algebras with properly infinite fibres must be properly
infinite. If this fails, then we already have a counterexample of the form B = pC(T, A)p,
cf. Example 4.5, for some unital properly infinite C∗-algebra A and for some projection
p ∈ C(T, A). (The C∗-algebra B is a C(T)-algebra with fibres Bt ∼= A.)
On the other hand, any trivial C(X)-algebra C(X,D) with constant fibre D is clearly
properly infinite if its fibre(s) D is unital and properly infinite (because C(X,D) ∼= C(X)⊗
D). We extend this observation in the following easy:
Proposition 6.2 Let X be a compact Hausdorff space, let p ∈ C(X,D) be a projection,
and consider the sub-trivial C(X)-algebra pC(X,D)p whose fibre at x is equal to p(x)Dp(x).
If p is Murray-von Neumann equivalent to a constant projection q, then pC(X,D)p is
C(X)-isomorphic to the trivial C(X)-algebra C(X,D0), where D0 = qDq. In this case,
pC(X,D)p is properly infinite if and only if D0 is properly infinite.
In particular, if X is contractible, then pC(X,D)p is C(X)-isomorphic to a trivial
C(X)-algebra for any projection p ∈ C(X,D) and for any C∗-algebra D.
Proof: Suppose that p = v∗v and q = vv∗ for some partial isometry v ∈ C(X,D).
The map f 7→ vfv∗ defines a C(X)-isomorphism from pC(X,D)p onto qC(X,D)q, and
qC(X,D)q = C(X,D0).
If X is contractible, then any projection p ∈ C(X,D) is homotopic, and hence equiva-
lent, to the constant projection x 7→ p(x0) for any fixed x0 ∈ X . �
Remark 6.3 One can elaborate a little more on the construction considered above. Take
a unital C∗-algebra D such that for some natural number n ≥ 2, Mn(D) is properly
infinite, butMn−1(D) is not properly infinite (see [12] or [11] for such examples). Take any
space X , preferably one with highly non-trivial topology, eg. X = Sn, and take, for some
k ≥ n, a sufficiently non-trivial n-dimensional projection p in C(X,Mk(D)) such that p(x)
is equivalent to the trivial n dimensional projection 1Mn(D) for all x (if X is connected we
need only assume that this holds for one x ∈ X). The C(X)-algebra
A = pC(X,Mk(D)) p,
then has properly infinite fibres Ax = p(x)Dp(x) ∼= Mn(D). Is A always properly infinite?
We guess that a possible counterexample to the questions posed in this paper could be of
this form (for suitable D, X , and p).
Let us end this paper by remarking that the answer to Question 2.13, which asks if any
C(X)-algebra with properly infinite fibres is itself properly infinite, does not depend (very
much) on X . If it fails, then it fails already for X = [0, 1] (cf. Theorem 5.5), and [0, 1] is a
contractible space of low dimension. However, if we make the dimension of X even lower
than the dimension of [0, 1], then we do get a positive anwer to our question:
Proposition 6.4 Let X be a totally disconnected space, and let A be a C(X)-algebra such
that all fibres Ax, x ∈ X, of A are properly infinite. Then A is properly infinite.
Proof: Using Lemma 2.10 and the fact that X is totally disconnected we can write X as
the disjoint union of clopen sets F1, F2, . . . , Fn such that AFj is properly infinite for all j.
A = AF1 ⊕ AF2 ⊕ · · · ⊕AFn ,
the claim is proved. �
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Projet Algbres d’oprateurs, Institut de Mathmatiques de Jussieu, 175, rue
du Chevaleret, F-75013 PARIS, France
E-mail address: Etienne.Blanchard@math.jussieu.fr
Internet home page: www.math.jussieu.fr/∼blanchar
Department of Mathematics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense,
Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
E-mail address: rohde@imada.sdu.dk
Department of Mathematics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense,
Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
E-mail address: mikael@imada.sdu.dk
Internet home page: www.imada.sdu.dk/∼mikael/welcome
	Introduction
	C(X)-algebras with properly infinite fibres
	Lower semi-continuous fields of properly infinite C-algebras
	Two examples
	K1-injectivity of properly infinite C*-algebras
	Concluding remarks
