The Banach-Stone Theorem (respectly, Kadison Theorem) says that two abelian (respectively, general) C*-algebras are isomorphic as C*-algebras (respectively, JB*-algebras) if and only if they are isomorphic as Banach spaces. We are interested in using different structures to determine C*-algebras. Here, we would like to study the disjointness structures of C*-algebras and investigate if it suffices to determine C*-algebras. There are at least four versions of disjointness structures: zero product, range orthogonality, domain orthogonality and doubly orthogonality. In this thesis, we first study these disjointness structures in the case of standard operator algebras. Then we extend these results to general C*-algebras, namely, C*-algebras with continuous trace.

Quasidiagonality is a matricial approximation property which asymptotically captures the multiplicative structure of C* -algebras. Quasidiagonal C* -algebras must be stably finite. It has been conjectured by Blackadar and Kirchberg that stably finiteness implies quasidiagonality for the class of separable nuclear C* -algebras. It has also been conjectured that separable exact quasidiagonal C* -algebras are AF embeddable. In this thesis, we study the behavior of these conjectures in the context of extensions 0 → I → E → B → 0. Specifically, we show that if I is exact and connective and B is separable, nuclear, and quasidiagonal (AF embeddable), then E is quasidiagonal (AF embeddable). Additionally, we show that if I is of the form C(X) ⊗ K for a compact metrizable space X and B is separable, nuclear, quasidiagonal (AF embeddable), and satisfies the UCT, then E is quasidiagonal (AF embeddable) if and only if E is stably finite.

In this thesis we present the connection between vertex operator algebras and modular forms which lies at the heart of Borcherds’ proof of the Monstrous Moonshine conjecture. In order to do so we introduce modular forms, vertex algebras, vertex operator algebras and their partition functions. Each notion is illustrated with examples.

The goal of this thesis is to give an introduction to the geometric picture of bivariant K-theory developed by Emerson and Meyer building on the ideas Connes and Skandalis, and then to apply this machinery to give a geometric proof of a result of Emerson. We begin by giving an overview of topological K-theory, necessary for developing bivariant K-theory. Then we discuss Kasparov's analytic bivariant K-theory, and from there develop topological bivariant K-theory. In the final chapter we state and prove the result of Emerson. / Graduate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2000. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-128). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

The algebra of matrices M with entries in an abelian von Neumann algebra is a C*-module. C*-modules were originally defined and studied by Kaplansky and we outline the foundations of the theory and particular properties of M. Furthermore, we prove a structure theorem for ultraweakly closed submodules of M, using techniques from the theory of type I finite von Neumann algebras. By analogy with the classical join in topology, the join for operator algebras A and B acting on Hilbert spaces H and K, respectively, was defined by Gilfeather and Smith. Assuming that K is finite dimensional, Gilfeather and Smith calculated the Hochschild cohomology groups of the join. We assume that M is the algebra of matrices with entries in a maximal abelian von Neumann algebra U, A is an operator algebra acting on a Hilbert space K, and B is an ultraweakly closed subalgebra of M containing U. In this new context, we redefine the join, generalize the calculations of Gilfeather and Smith, and calculate the cohomology groups of the join.

In this thesis, we study the operator algebraic structure of various classes of unimodular free quantum groups, including thefree orthogonal quantum groups $O_n^+$, free unitary quantum groups $U_n^+$, and trace-preserving quantum automorphism groups associated to finite dimensional C$^\ast$-algebras. The first objective of this thesis to establish certain approximation properties for the reduced operator algebras associated to the quantum groups $\G = O_n^+$ and $U_n^+$, ($n \ge 2$). Here we prove that the reduced von Neumann algebras $L^\infty(\G)$ have the Haagerup approximation property, the reduced C$^\ast$-algebras $C_r(\G)$ have Grothendieck's metric approximation property, and that the quantum convolution algebras $L^1(\G)$ admit multiplier-bounded approximate identities. We then go on to study trace-preserving quantum automorphism groups $\G$ of finite dimensional C$^\ast$-algebras $(B, \psi)$, where $\psi$ is the canonical trace on $B$ induced by the regular representation of $B$. Here, we extend several known results for free orthogonal and free unitary quantum groups to the setting of quantum automorphism groups. We prove that the discrete dual quantum groups $\hG$ have the property of rapid decay, the von Neumann algebras $L^\infty(\G)$ have the Haagerup approximation property, and that $L^\infty(\G)$ is (in most cases) a full type II$_1$-factor. As applications of these and other results, we deduce the metric approximation property, exactness, simplicity and uniqueness of trace for the reduced C$^\ast$-algebras $C_r(\G)$, and the existence of multiplier-bounded approximate identities for the convolution algebras $L^1(\G)$. We also show that when $B$ is a full matrix algebra, $L^\infty(\G)$ is an index $2$ subfactor of $L^\infty(O_n^+)$, and thus solid and prime. Finally, we investigate strong Haagerup inequalities in the context of quantum symmetries arising from actions of free quantum groups on non-commutative random variables. We prove a generalization of the strong Haagerup inequality for $\ast$-free R-diagonal families due to Kemp and Speicher, and apply this result to study strong Haagerup inequalites for the free unitary quantum groups. / Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2012-07-31 12:45:57.767

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2008. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-41). Also available online in Scholars' Bank; and in ProQuest, free to University of Oregon users.

Adviser: Peter B. Gilkey. ix, 128 leaves / A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: MATH QA613 .Z43 2000 / Relative to a non-degenerate metric of signature (p, q), an algebraic curvature tensor is said to be IP if the associated skew-symmetric curvature operator R(π) has constant eigenvalues and if the kernel of R(π) has constant dimension on the Grassmanian of non-degenerate oriented 2-planes. A pseudo-Riemannian manifold with a non-degenerate indefinite metric of signature (p, q) is said to be IP if the curvature tensor of the Levi-Civita connection is IP at every point; the eigenvalues are permitted to vary with the point. In the Riemannian setting (p, q) = (0, m), the work of Gilkey, Leahy, and Sadofsky and the work of Ivanov and Petrova have classified the IP metrics and IP algebraic curvature tensors if the dimension is at least 4 and if the dimension is not 7. We use techniques from algebraic topology and from differential geometry to extend some of their results to the Lorentzian setting (p, q) = (1, m – 1) and to the setting of metrics of signature (p, q) = (2, m – 2).

Ph.D. (Mathematics) / Our objective in this thesis is to investigate two fundamental questions concerning Riesz operators de ned on a Banach space. Recall that Riesz operators are generalizations of compact operators in the sense that Riesz operators have the same spectral properties as compact operators. However, they do not possess the same algebraic properties as compact operators. Our rst question that we investigate is: When is a Riesz operator a nite rank operator? This question is motivated from the fact that if a compact operator de ned on a Banach space has closed range, then it is a nite rank operator. Also, Ghahramani proved that a compact homomorphism de ned on a C -algebra is a nite rank operator, see . Martin Mathieu, in his paper, generalized the result of Ghahramani by proving that a weakly compact homomorphism de ned on a C -algebra is a nite rank operator...