Unique Pseudo-Expectations for $C^*$-Inclusions

TL;DR

This paper introduces the concept of pseudo-expectations for unital C*-algebra inclusions, characterizes when they are unique, and explores their structural implications and applications in operator algebras.

Contribution

It develops a Krein-Milman type theorem for pseudo-expectations, characterizes uniqueness conditions, and links these to structural properties of C*-algebra inclusions.

Findings

Unique pseudo-expectations imply D' ∩ C is the center of D.

In abelian cases, extreme pseudo-expectations correspond to maximal ideals.

Faithful unique pseudo-expectations determine the C*-envelope of operator spaces.

Abstract

Given an inclusion D $\subseteq$ C of unital C*-algebras, a unital completely positive linear map $\Phi$ of C into the injective envelope I(D) of D which extends the inclusion of D into I(D) is a pseudo-expectation. The set PsExp(C,D) of all pseudo-expectations is a convex set, and for abelian D, we prove a Krein-Milman type theorem showing that PsExp(C,D) can be recovered from its extreme points. When C is abelian, the extreme pseudo-expectations coincide with the homomorphisms of C into I(D) which extend the inclusion of D into I(D), and these are in bijective correspondence with the ideals of C which are maximal with respect to having trivial intersection with D. Natural classes of inclusions have a unique pseudo-expectation (e.g., when D is a regular MASA in C). Uniqueness of the pseudo-expectation implies interesting structural properties for the inclusion. For example, when D $\subseteq$ C $\subseteq$ B(H) are W*-algebras, uniqueness of the pseudo-expectation implies that D' $\cap$ C is the center of D; moreover, when H is separable and D is abelian, we characterize which W*-inclusions have the unique pseudo-expectation property. For general inclusions of C*-algebras with D abelian, we characterize the unique pseudo-expectation property in terms of order structure; and when C is abelian, we are able to give a topological description of the unique pseudo-expectation property. Applications include: a) if an inclusion D $\subseteq$ C has a unique pseudo-expectation $\Phi$ which is also faithful, then the C*-envelope of any operator space X with D $\subseteq$ X $\subseteq$ C is the C*-subalgebra of C generated by X; b) for many interesting classes of C*-inclusions, having a faithful unique pseudo-expectation implies that D norms C. We give examples to illustrate the theory, and conclude with several unresolved questions.