Entropy and induced dynamics on state spaces

We consider the topological entropy of state space and quasi-state space homeomorphisms induced from C*-algebra automorphisms. Our main result asserts that, for automorphisms of separable exact C*-algebras, zero Voiculescu-Brown entropy implies zero topological entropy on the quasi-state space (and also more generally on the entire unit ball of the dual). As an application we obtain a simple description of the topological Pinsker algebra in terms of local Voiculescu-Brown entropy.Comment: 16 pages; some revision; to appear in GAF

Almost finiteness and the small boundary property

Working within the framework of free actions of countable amenable groups on compact metrizable spaces, we show that the small boundary property is equivalent to a density version of almost finiteness, which we call almost finiteness in measure, and that under this hypothesis the properties of almost finiteness, comparison, and $m$-comparison for some nonnegative integer $m$ are all equivalent. The proof combines an Ornstein-Weiss tiling argument with the use of zero-dimensional extensions which are measure-isomorphic over singleton fibres. These kinds of extensions are also employed to show that if every free action of a given group on a zero-dimensional space is almost finite then so are all free actions of the group on spaces with finite covering dimension. Combined with recent results of Downarowicz-Zhang and Conley-Jackson-Marks-Seward-Tucker-Drob on dynamical tilings and of Castillejos-Evington-Tikuisis-White-Winter on the Toms-Winter conjecture, this implies that crossed product C$^*$-algebras arising from free minimal actions of groups with local subexponential growth on finite-dimensional spaces are classifiable in the sense of Elliott's program. We show furthermore that, for free actions of countably infinite amenable groups, the small boundary property implies that the crossed product has uniform property $\Gamma$, which under minimality confirms the Toms-Winter conjecture for such crossed products by the aforementioned work of Castillejos-Evington-Tikuisis-White-Winter.Comment: 32 pages, minor change

Quantum groups, property (T), and weak mixing

For second countable discrete quantum groups, and more generally second countable locally compact quantum groups with trivial scaling group, we show that property (T) is equivalent to every weakly mixing unitary representation not having almost invariant vectors. This is a generalization of a theorem of Bekka and Valette from the group setting and was previously established in the case of low dual by Daws, Skalsi, and Viselter. Our approach uses spectral techniques and is completely different from those of Bekka--Valette and Daws--Skalski--Viselter. By a separate argument we furthermore extend the result to second countable nonunimodular locally compact quantum groups, which are shown in particular not to have property (T), generalizing a theorem of Fima from the discrete setting. We also obtain quantum group versions of characterizations of property (T) of Kerr and Pichot in terms of the Baire category theory of weak mixing representations and of Connes and Weiss in term of the prevalence of strongly ergodic actions.Comment: 20 page

Independence in topological and C*-dynamics

We develop a systematic approach to the study of independence in topological dynamics with an emphasis on combinatorial methods. One of our principal aims is to combinatorialize the local analysis of topological entropy and related mixing properties. We also reframe our theory of dynamical independence in terms of tensor products and thereby expand its scope to C*-dynamics.Comment: 54 pages; Definition 2.2 changed; to appear in Mathematische Annale