On ${\OL}_{\infty}$ structure of nuclear $C^*$-algebras

Abstract

We study the local operator space structure of nuclear $C^*$-algebras. It is shown that a $C^*$-algebra is nuclear if and only if it is an $\OL_{\infty, \la}$ space for some (and actually for every) $\la > 6$. The $\OL_\infty$ constant $\lambda$ provides an interesting invariant \[ \OL_\infty (\A) = \inf\{\la: ~ \A ~{\rm is ~ an} ~ {\OL}_{\infty, \la} ~ {\rm space}\} \] for nuclear $C^*$-algebras. Indeed, if $\A$ is a nuclear $C^*$-algebra, then we have $1\le \OL_\infty (\A) \le 6$, and if $\A$ is a unital nuclear $C^*$-algebra with $\OL_{\infty} (\A) \le (\frac {1+{\sqrt 5}}2)^{\frac 12}$, we show that $\A$ must be stably finite. We also investigate the connection between the rigid $\OL_{\infty, 1^+}$ structure and the rigid complete order $\OL_{\infty, 1^+}$ structure on $C^*$-algebras, where the latter structure has been studied by Blackadar and Kirchberg in their characterization of strong NF $C^*$-algebras. Another main result of this paper is to show that these two local structrues are actually equivalent on unital nuclear $C^*$-algebras. We obtain this by showing that if a unital (nuclear) $C^*$-algebra is a rigid ${\OL}_{\infty, 1^+}$ space, then it is inner quasi-diagonal, and thus is a strong NF algebra. It is also shown that if a unital (nuclear) $C^*$-algebra is an ${\OL}_{\infty, 1^+}$ space, then it is quasi-diagonal, and thus is an NF algebra.