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In this note, we present criteria that are equivalent to a locally compact Hausdorff groupoid $G$ being effective. One of these conditions is that $G$ satisfies the "C*-algebraic local bisection hypothesis"; that is, that every normaliser in the reduced twisted groupoid C*-algebra is supported on an open bisection. The semigroup of normalisers plays a fundamental role in our proof, as does the semigroup of normalisers in cyclic group C*-algebras., Comment: 11 pages. This version matches the version in Semigroup Forum

The C*-algebra generated by the left-regular representation of $\mathbb{N}^n$ twisted by a $2$-cocycle is a Toeplitz extension of an $n$-dimensional noncommutative torus, on which each vector $r \in [0,\infty)^n$ determines a one-parameter subgroup of the gauge action. We show that the equilibrium states of the resulting C*-dynamical system are parametrised by tracial states of the noncommutative torus corresponding to the restriction of the cocycle to the vanishing coordinates of $r$. These in turn correspond to probability measures on a classical torus whose dimension depends on a certain degeneracy index of the restricted cocycle. Our results generalise the phase transition on the Toeplitz noncommutative tori used as building blocks in recent work of Brownlowe, Hawkins and Sims, and of Afsar, an Huef, Raeburn and Sims., Comment: 29 pages; minor changes in version 2

We show how to recover a discrete twist over an ample Hausdorff groupoid from a pair consisting of an algebra and what we call a quasi-Cartan subalgebra. We identify precisely which twists arise in this way (namely, those that satisfy the local bisection hypothesis), and we prove that the assignment of twisted Steinberg algebras to such twists and our construction of a twist from a quasi-Cartan pair are mutually inverse. We identify the algebraic pairs that correspond to effective groupoids and to principal groupoids. We also indicate the scope of our results by identifying large classes of twists for which the local bisection hypothesis holds automatically., Comment: 47 pages. This version matches the version in International Mathematics Research Notices (IMRN)

We introduce twisted Steinberg algebras over a commutative unital ring $R$. These generalise Steinberg algebras and are a purely algebraic analogue of Renault's twisted groupoid C*-algebras. In particular, for each ample Hausdorff groupoid $G$ and each locally constant $2$-cocycle $\sigma$ on $G$ taking values in the units $R^\times$, we study the algebra $A_R(G,\sigma)$ consisting of locally constant compactly supported $R$-valued functions on $G$, with convolution and involution "twisted" by $\sigma$. We also introduce a "discretised" analogue of a twist $\Sigma$ over a Hausdorff \'etale groupoid $G$, and we show that there is a one-to-one correspondence between locally constant $2$-cocycles on $G$ and discrete twists over $G$ admitting a continuous global section. Given a discrete twist $\Sigma$ arising from a locally constant $2$-cocycle $\sigma$ on an ample Hausdorff groupoid $G$, we construct an associated twisted Steinberg algebra $A_R(G;\Sigma)$, and we show that it coincides with $A_R(G,\sigma^{-1})$. Given any discrete field $\mathbb{F}_d$, we prove a graded uniqueness theorem for $A_{\mathbb{F}_d}(G,\sigma)$, and under the additional hypothesis that $G$ is effective, we prove a Cuntz--Krieger uniqueness theorem and show that simplicity of $A_{\mathbb{F}_d}(G,\sigma)$ is equivalent to minimality of $G$., Comment: 31 pages. This version matches the version in the Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra

We introduce the notion of a self-similar action of a groupoid $G$ on a finite higher-rank graph. To these actions we associate a compactly aligned product system of Hilbert bimodules, and thereby obtain corresponding universal Nica--Toeplitz and Cuntz--Pimsner algebras. We consider natural actions of the real numbers on both algebras and study the KMS states of the associated dynamics. For large inverse temperatures, we describe the simplex of KMS states on the Nica--Toeplitz algebra in terms of traces on the full $C^*$-algebra of $G$. We prove that if the graph is $G$-aperiodic and the action satisfies a finite-state condition, then there is a unique KMS state on the Cuntz--Pimsner algebra., Comment: 57 pages, accepted version

We study the internal structure of $C^*$-algebras of right LCM monoids by means of isolating the core semigroup $C^*$-algebra as the coefficient algebra of a Fock-type module on which the full semigroup $C^*$-algebra admits a left action. If the semigroup has a generalised scale, we classify the KMS-states for the associated time evolution on the semigroup $C^*$-algebra, and provide sufficient conditions for uniqueness of the KMS$_\beta$-state at inverse temperature $\beta$ in a critical interval., Comment: 39 pages

We consider closed, Weyl-transitive groups of automorphisms of thick buildings. For each element of such a group, we derive a combinatorial formula for its scale and establish the existence of a tidy subgroup for it that equals the stabilizer of a simplex. Simplices whose stabilizers are tidy for some element of the group are characterized in terms of the minimal set of the isometry induced by the element on the Davis-realisation of the building and in terms of the Weyl-distance between them and their image. We use our results to derive some topological properties of closed, Weyl-transitive groups of automorphisms., Comment: 18 pages

It is shown that a flat subgroup, $H$, of the totally disconnected, locally compact group $G$ decomposes into a finite number of subsemigroups on which the scale function is multiplicative. The image, $P$, of a multiplicative semigroup in the quotient, $H/H(1)$, of $H$ by its uniscalar subgroup has a unique minimal generating set which determines a natural Cayley graph structure on $P$. For each compact, open subgroup $U$ of $G$, a graph is defined and it is shown that if $P$ is multiplicative over $U$ then this graph is a regular, rooted, strongly simple $P$-graph. This extends to higher rank the result of R. M\"oller that $U$ is tidy for $x$ if and only if a certain graph is a regular, rooted tree., Comment: 29 pages

Each multiplicative real-valued homomorphism on a quasi-lattice ordered monoid gives rise to a quasi-periodic dynamics on the associated Toeplitz C*-algebra; here we study the KMS equilibrium states of the resulting C*-dynamical system. We show that, under a nondegeneracy assumption on the homomorphism, there is a critical inverse temperature $\beta_c$ such that at each inverse temperature $\beta \geq \beta_c$ there exists a unique KMS state. Strictly above $\beta_c$, the KMS states are generalised Gibbs states with density operators determined by analytic extension to the upper half-plane of the unitaries implementing the dynamics. These are faithful Type~I states. The critical value $\beta_c$ is the largest real pole of the partition function of the system and is related to the clique polynomial and skew-growth function of the monoid, relative to the degree map given by the logarithm of the multiplicative homomorphism. Motivated by the study of equilibrium states, we give a proof of the inversion formula for the growth series of a quasi-lattice ordered monoid in terms of the clique polynomial as in recent work of Albenque--Nadeau and McMullen for the finitely generated case, and in terms of the skew-growth series as in recent work of Saito. Specifically, we show that $e^{-\beta_c}$ is the smallest pole of the growth series and thus is the smallest positive real root of the clique polynomial. We use this to show that equilibrium states in the subcritical range can only occur at inverse temperatures that correspond to roots of the clique polynomial in the interval $(e^{-\beta_c},1)$, but we are not aware of any examples in which such roots exist., Comment: 15 pages

We consider self-similar actions of groupoids on the path spaces of finite directed graphs, and construct examples of such self-similar actions using a suitable notion of graph automaton. Self-similar groupoid actions have a Cuntz-Pimsner algebra and a Toeplitz algebra, both of which carry natural dynamics lifted from the gauge actions. We study the equilibrium states (the KMS states) on the resulting dynamical systems. Above a critical inverse temperature, the KMS states on the Toeplitz algebra are parametrised by the traces on the full $C^*$-algebra of the groupoid, and we describe a program for finding such traces. The critical inverse temperature is the logarithm of the spectral radius of the incidence matrix of the graph, and at the critical temperature the KMS states on the Toeplitz algebra factor through states of the Cuntz-Pimsner algebra. Under a verifiable hypothesis on the self-similar action, there is a unique KMS state on the Cuntz-Pimsner algebra. We discuss an explicit method of computing the values of this KMS state, and illustrate with examples., Comment: 48 pages

We study the external and internal Zappa-Sz\'ep product of topological groupoids. We show that under natural continuity assumptions the Zappa-Sz\'ep product groupoid is \'etale if and only if the individual groupoids are \'etale. In our main result we show that the C*-algebra of a locally compact Hausdorff \'etale Zappa-Sz\'ep product groupoid is a C*-blend, in the sense of Exel, of the individual groupoid C*-algebras. We finish with some examples, including groupoids built from *-commuting endomorphisms, and skew product groupoids., Comment: Updated to agree with published version

A scale-multiplicative semigroup in a totally disconnected, locally compact group $G$ is one for which the restriction of the scale function on $G$ is multiplicative. The maximal scale-multiplicative semigroups in groups acting 2-transitively on the set of ends of trees without leaves are determined in this paper and shown to correspond to geometric features of the tree., Comment: submitted to Groups, Geometry, and Dynamics

Zappa-Sz\'ep products of semigroups encompass both the self-similar group actions of Nekrashevych and the quasi-lattice-ordered groups of Nica. We use Li's construction of semigroup $C^*$-algebras to associate a $C^*$-algebra to Zappa-Sz\'ep products and give an explicit presentation of the algebra. We then define a quotient $C^*$-algebra that generalises the Cuntz-Pimsner algebras for self-similar actions. We indicate how known examples, previously viewed as distinct classes, fit into our unifying framework. We specifically discuss the Baumslag-Solitar groups, the binary adding machine, the semigroup $\mathbb{N}\rtimes\mathbb{N}^\times$, and the $ax+b$-semigroup $\mathbb{Z}\rtimes\mathbb{Z}^\times$.

We study certain group actions on triangle buildings and their boundaries and some von Neumann algebras which can be constructed from them. In particular, for buildings of order $q\geq 3$ certain natural actions on the boundary are hyperfinite of type $\tqs$.

We construct factors of type $\tn$ for $n\in\NN, n\geq 2$ from group actions on homogeneous trees and their boundaries. Our result is a discrete analogue of a result of R.J Spatzier, where the hyperfinite factor of type $\tone$ is constructed from a group action on the boundary of the universal cover of a manifold.

Haagerup's inequality for convolvers on free groups may be interpreted as a result on $\tA_1$ buildings, i.e. trees. Here are proved analogous inequalities for discrete groups acting freely on the vertices of $\tA_1\times\tA_1$ and $\tA_2$ buildings. The results apply in particular to groups of type-rotating automorphisms acting simply transitively on the vertices of such buildings. These results provide the first examples of higher rank groups with property (RD).

We consider a family of Cuntz-Pimsner algebras associated to self-similar group actions, and their Toeplitz analogues. Both families carry natural dynamics implemented by automorphic actions of the real line, and we investigate the equilibrium states (the KMS states) for these dynamical systems. We find that for all inverse temperatures above a critical value, the KMS states on the Toeplitz algebra are given, in a very concrete way, by traces on the full group algebra of the group. At the critical inverse temperature, the KMS states factor through states of the Cuntz-Pimsner algebra; if the self-similar group is contracting, then the Cuntz-Pimsner algebra has only one KMS state. We apply these results to a number of examples, including the self-similar group actions associated to integer dilation matrices, and the canonical self-similar actions of the basilica group and the Grigorchuk group., Comment: The paper has been updated to agree with the published version

An integer matrix $A\in M_d(\Z)$ induces a covering $\sigma_A$ of $\T^d$ and an endomorphism $\alpha_A:f\mapsto f\circ \sigma_A$ of $C(\T^d)$ for which there is a natural transfer operator $L$. In this paper, we compute the KMS states on the Exel crossed product $C(\T^d)\rtimes_{\alpha_A,L}\N$ and its Toeplitz extension. We find that $C(\T^d)\rtimes_{\alpha_A,L}\N$ has a unique KMS state, which has inverse temperature $\beta=\log|\det A|$. Its Toeplitz extension, on the other hand, exhibits a phase transition at $\beta=\log|\det A|$, and for larger $\beta$ the simplex of KMS$_\beta$ states is isomorphic to the simplex of probability measures on $\T^d$.

We study Hecke algebras of groups acting on trees with respect to geometrically defined subgroups. In particular, we consider Hecke algebras of groups of automorphisms of locally finite trees with respect to vertex and edge stabilizers and the stabilizer of an end relative to a vertex stabilizer, assuming that the actions are sufficiently transitive. We focus on identifying the structure of the resulting Hecke algebras, give explicit multiplication tables of the canonical generators and determine whether the Hecke algebra has a universal C*-completion. The paper unifies past algebraic and analytic approaches by focusing on the common geometric thread.The results have implications for the general theory of totally disconnected locally compact groups.

Let $G$ be an abstract Kac-Moody group over a finite field and $\bar{G}$ be the closure of the image of $G$ in the automorphism group of its positive building. We show that if the Dynkin diagram associated to $G$ is irreducible and neither of spherical nor of affine type, then the contraction groups of elements in $\bar{G}$ which are not topologically periodic are not closed. (In those groups there always exist elements which are not topologically periodic.)

We show that the Young tableaux theory and constructions of the irreducible representations of the Weyl groups of type A, B and D, Iwahori-Hecke algebras of types A, B, and D, the complex reflection groups G(r,p,n) and the corresponding cyclotomic Hecke algebras H_{r,p,n}, can be obtained, in all cases, from the affine Hecke algebra of type A. The Young tableaux theory was extended to affine Hecke algebras (of general Lie type) in recent work of A. Ram. We also show how (in general Lie type) the representations of general affine Hecke algebras can be constructed from the representations of simply connected affine Hecke algebras by using an extended form of Clifford theory. This extension of Clifford theory is given in the Appendix.