Orientation in operator algebras

A concept of orientation is relevant for the passage from Jordan structure to associative structure in operator algebras. The research reported in this paper bridges the approach of Connes for von Neumann algebras and ourselves for C*-algebras in a general theory of orientation that is of geometric nature and is related to dynamics.

Prime factors

We use Voiculescu’s free probability theory to prove the existence of prime factors, hence answering a longstanding problem in the theory of von Neumann algebras.