Fra\"iss\'e limits in functional analysis

Abstract

We provide a unified approach to Fra\"{\i}ss\'{e} limits in functional analysis, including the Gurarij space, the Poulsen simplex, and their noncommutative analogs. We obtain in this general framework many known and new results about the Gurarij space and the Poulsen simplex, and at the same time establish their noncommutative analogs. Particularly, we construct noncommutative analogs of universal operators in the sense of Rota.