W*-superrigidity for cocycle twisted group von Neumann algebras

Abstract

We construct countable groups $G$ with the following new degree of W*-superrigidity: if $L(G)$ is virtually isomorphic, in the sense of admitting a bifinite bimodule, with any other group von Neumann algebra $L(\Lambda)$, then the groups $G$ and $\Lambda$ must be virtually isomorphic. Moreover, we allow both group von Neumann algebras to be twisted by an arbitrary $2$-cocycle. We also give examples of II$_1$ factors $N$ that are indecomposable in every sense: they are not virtually isomorphic to any cocycle twisted groupoid von Neumann algebra.