Adding tails to C*-correspondences

Abstract

We describe a method of adding tails to C*-correspondences which generalizes the process used in the study of graph C*-algebras. We show how this technique can be used to extend results for augmented Cuntz-Pimsner algebras to C*-algebras associated to general C*-correspondences, and as an application we prove a gauge-invariant uniqueness theorem for these algebras. We also define a notion of relative graph C*-algebras and show that properties of these C*-algebras can provide insight and motivation for results about relative Cuntz-Pimsner algebras.