About:

Following the  success of the Higher Rank Graphs workshop in 2019 it was suggested to the organisers that they explore the broader connections between C*-algebras and the rest of mathematics and not restrict their focus to those C*-algebras that happen to arise from higher rank graphs. There are good reasons for doing this. Operator algebras in general have been influential on mathematics at least since the pioneering work of Marshall Stone in the 1930's. While C*-algebras interact nicely with many other areas of mathematics, the majority of work has been to bring outside ideas into the C*-algebraic framework. However, there are rare but significant advances in the other direction; for example, the Jones polynomial in knot theory, Alain Connes' non-commutative geometry program, and Krieger's invariant for subshifts of finite type. Many important connections between C*-algebras and the rest of mathematics are mediated by etale groupoids which connect the theory of C*-algebras with group theory advanced aspects of category theory such as the theory of toposes (via etendues). There are also important connections between the theory of C*-algebras and the theory of algebras in general such as Leavitt path algebras and Steinberg algebras and algebras that arise naturally in theoretical physics.

This workshop therefore aimed to bring together experts in the theory of C*-algebras with mathematicians who have already been inspired by C*-algebras or who work in areas where there are natural connections with C*-algebras.