English

The Kadison-Singer problem for the direct sum of matrix algebras

Operator Algebras 2010-09-14 v1

Abstract

Let MnM_n denote the algebra of complex n×nn\times n matrices and write MM for the direct sum of the MnM_n. So a typical element of MM has the form x=x1x2.˙.xn.˙.,x = x_1\oplus x_2 \... \oplus x_n \oplus \..., where xnMnx_n \in M_n and x=supnxn\|x\| = \sup_n\|x_n\|. We set D={{xn}M:xnD= \{\{x_n\} \in M: x_n is diagonal for all N}N\}. We conjecture (contra Kadison and Singer (1959)) that every pure state of DD extends uniquely to a pure state of MM. This is known for the normal pure states of D, and we show that this is true for a (weak*) open, dense subset of all the singular pure states of DD. We also show that (assuming the Continuum hypothesis) MM has pure states that are not multiplicative on any maximal abelian *-subalgebra of MM.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1009.2237,
  title  = {The Kadison-Singer problem for the direct sum of matrix algebras},
  author = {Charles Akemann and Joel Anderson and Betul Tanbay},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1009.2237},
  year   = {2010}
}