Amenability, boundaries and von Neumann algebras
Changying Ding 丁长缨 (UCLA)
15:10-16:10, December 18, 2025 Science Building A503
Abstract:
Von Neumann first introduced the concept of amenable groups in 1929 to explain the Banach?Tarski paradox. Since then, the idea has found applications across many areas of mathematics, including group theory, ergodic theory, and operator algebras. In the theory of von Neumann algebras, which was introduced by Murray and von Neumann in 1936, amenability plays a central role, and the classification of amenable von Neumann algebras by Connes and Haagerup remains a cornerstone result. In this talk, I will survey amenability in von Neumann algebras, highlighting recent developments involving boundaries as well as some of my own contributions.
About the speaker:
Changying Ding is currently a Hedrick Assistant Adjunct Professor at UCLA, working with?Sorin Popa?and?Dimitri Shlyakhtenko.He finished his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University under?Jesse Peterson?in 2023.Changying is an expert in von Neumann algebras, and has made several important contributions to the study of rigidity aspects of Gromov's measure equivalence, as well as approximation properties for von Neumann algebras. He has published in prestigious journals such as Duke, Advances, JFA, and CMP.
Attachments: