Journal of Operator Theory
Volume 84, Issue 1, Summer 2020 pp. 153-184.
The universal $C^*$-algebra of a contraction
Authors:
Kristin Courtney (1), David Sherman (2)
Author institution:(1) Department of Mathematics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, U.S.A. \textit{and}
Mathematical Institute, WWU M\"{u}nster, M\"{u}nster, 48149, Germany
(2) Department of Mathematics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, U.S.A.
Summary: We call a contractive Hilbert space operator universal if there is a natural
surjection from its generated $C^*$-algebra to the $C^*$-algebra generated by
any other contraction. A universal contraction may be irreducible or a direct
sum of (even nilpotent) matrices; we sharpen the latter fact in several ways,
including von Neumann-type inequalities for $*$-polynomials. We also record
properties of the unique $C^*$-algebra generated by a universal contraction
and show that it can replace $C^*(\mathbb{F}_2)$ in various Kirchberg-like
reformulations of Connes' embedding problem (some known, some new). Finally
we prove some analogous results for universal row contraction and universal
Pythagorean $C^*$-algebras.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7900/jot.2019mar11.2229
Keywords: universal contraction,
universal $C^*$-algebra,
von Neumann's inequality, Connes embedding problem
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