Sofic Entropy of Gaussian Actions

Abstract

Associated to any orthogonal representation of a countable discrete group is an probability measure-preserving action called the Gaussian action. Using the Polish model formalism we developed before, we compute the entropy (in the sense of Bowen, Kerr-Li) of Gaussian actions when the group is sofic. Computations of entropy for Gaussian actions has only been done when the acting group is abelian and thus our results are new even in the amenable case. Fundamental to our approach are methods of noncommutative harmonic analysis and $C^{*}$-algebras which replace the Fourier analysis used in the abelian case.