On the ideal structure of the Fourier-Stieltjes algebra of certain groups

Abstract

We determine the structure of the weak*-closed $G$-invariant ideals in the Fourier-Stieltjes algebra $B(G)$ of certain groups $G$ by means of a $K$-theoretical obstruction. The groups to which this applies are groups whose only irreducible unitary representations that are not weakly contained in the left regular representation are class-one representations. In particular, this is the case for the groups $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$ and $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$, which we consider as explicit examples.