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# Continuous Fields of C*-Algebras Arising from Extensions of Tensor C*-Categories

## 1 Introduction.

It is well known that tensor categories play an important role in the theory of duality. In particular in the basic paper  suitable abstract strict tensor C\*-categories are characterized as duals of compact groups. One of the steps of the proof of that result is the association of a C\*-algebra, called the DR-algebra, to each object of the given strict tensor C\*-category. Some of these C\*-algebras have been studied () and others are well known (); the aim of this work is to start the study of DR-algebras arising from a certain class of strict tensor C\*-categories, having not trivial space of intertwiners of the identity object. Such categories have already been studied in the context of superselection structures, in the case where the fixed point algebra of a crossed product has a non trivial center (see  and related references). The present paper is organized as follows:

In section 2 some basics are given about strict tensor C\*-categories, DR-algebras and continuous fields of C\*-algebras with a circle action. Furthermore some preliminary results are illustrated.

In section 3 we introduce a simple procedure for extending a given C\*-category $`𝒞`$ by a unital C\*-algebra $`A`$. The objects of the extended category $`𝒞^A`$ are projections in the spatial tensor product $`A(\rho ,\rho )`$ for some object $`\rho `$ in $`𝒞`$. We give in the commutative case $`A=C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ a picture of the extension as the categorical analogue of a fiber bundle over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, and show that it inherits naturally the tensor structure by $`𝒞`$. We also give a description of $`𝒞^{C(\mathrm{\Omega })}`$ in terms of principal bundles, associating to objects of the extension category elements of suitable cohomology sets (Prop. 3.11).

In section 4 we study DR-algebras associated to objects of $`𝒞^A`$. Our main result is that in the commutative case they have the structure of continuous fields of C\*-algebras, whose fiber is given by DR-algebras associated to objects of $`𝒞`$ (Thm. 4.6). Particular care is given at the case of Hermitian vector bundles, whose associated DR-algebra is a continuous field of Cuntz algebras. We prove that the isomorphism between the associated DR-algebras does not imply the isomorphism between the vector bundles (Prop. 4.10), so that classification questions arise.

In section 5 we return to the case in which $`A`$ is non commutative and investigate the existence of tensor products on our extension categories. Further structure has to be added to obtain a tensor product: we need an abstract analogue of the left action on a Hilbert C\*-bimodule, so we consider endomorphisms of the form $`AA(\rho ,\rho )`$ (see , §1.7). With a technical assumption (namely the existence of a unique C\*-norm over $`(\rho ,\rho )_{alg}A`$ extending the C\*-norms of the factors for each object $`\rho `$ in $`𝒞`$) we construct a tensor product on the extension category (Prop.5.3). As an application of the abstract results we characterize Hilbert C\*-bimodules of the form $`𝒳=_𝒵A`$, where $`𝒵`$ denotes the center of $`A`$ and $``$ is the module of sections of a vector bundle over $`spect(𝒵)`$, in terms of properties of the Pimsner C\*-algebra associated to $`𝒳`$ (Prop. 5.7).

Some of the results in section 4 have been proved independently (and previously) by J.E. Roberts .

## 2 Preliminaries.

### 2.1 DR-Algebras.

A detailed exposition of tensor categories can be found in ; in  strict tensor C\*-categories with conjugates are considered and illustrated by examples, and the notion of DR-algebra is introduced (in both references the term monoidal is used instead of tensor). More recent developements on strict tensor C\*-categories can be found in ; we refer to this paper for the definition of conjugates.

To each object $`\rho `$ of a strict tensor C\*-category $`𝒞`$ is canonically associated a C\*-algebra $`𝒪_\rho `$, whose construction we briefly recall. We consider for each $`k`$ in $``$ the Banach space $`𝒪_\rho ^k`$ defined by the inductive limit

$$\mathrm{}\stackrel{\times 1_\rho }{}(\rho ^r,\rho ^{r+k})\stackrel{\times 1_\rho }{}(\rho ^{r+1},\rho ^{r+k+1})\stackrel{\times 1_\rho }{}\mathrm{}$$

having assumed that tensoring on the right with the identity arrow $`1_\rho `$ is an isometric map. Note that $`𝒪_\rho ^0`$ is a C\*-algebra. The direct sum $`{}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{\rho }^{}:=_k𝒪_\rho ^k`$, with product given by composition of arrows and involution induced by the analogue categorical structure, is a *-algebra. On $`{}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{\rho }^{}`$ is naturally defined a circle action, assigning to each $`z`$ in $`𝕋`$ the map

$$\phi _z(t_k):=z^kt_k$$
(2.1)
where $`t_k𝒪_\rho ^k`$. Such a structure is called a $``$-graded C\*-algebra. It can be shown that there exists a unique C\*-norm on $`{}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{\rho }^{}`$ extending the C\*-norm on $`𝒪_\rho ^0`$ such that (2.1) extends to an automorphic action; the completition $`𝒪_\rho `$ is called the DR-algebra associated to $`\rho `$. The isomorphism class of $`𝒪_\rho `$ does not change as $`\rho `$ varies in its unitary equivalence class (we say that $`\rho `$ is unitarily equivalent to $`\sigma `$ if there exists $`u(\rho ,\sigma )`$ such that $`u^{}u=1_\rho ,uu^{}=1_\sigma `$): in fact, for each suitable $`r,k`$ we have the Banach space isomorphisms

$$\begin{array}{cccc}\phi _u^{r,k}:& (\rho ^r,\rho ^{r+k})& & (\sigma ^r,\sigma ^{r+k})\\ & t& & u^{^{r+k}}tu_{}^{}{}_{}{}^{^r}\end{array}$$
(2.2)
(in the following we will adopt this notation also when, more generally, $`uu^{}1_\sigma `$) realizing an isomorphism of $``$-graded C\*-algebras and hence a grading preserving isomorphism at the level of the associated C\*-algebras. In particular for $`\rho =\sigma `$ the algebra $`𝒪_\rho `$ is acted upon by the group $`𝐔_\rho `$ of unitary arrows in $`(\rho ,\rho )`$. $`𝒪_\rho `$ is also naturally equipped with a canonical endomorphism $`\widehat{\rho }`$ obtained by tensoring on the left with the identity arrow $`1_\rho `$. Note that $`\widehat{\rho }`$ commutes with the action of $`𝐔_\rho `$.

A similar construction can be done in the more general setting of strict semitensor C\*-categories (see : roughly speaking, at the level of arrows, only the operation of tensoring on the right with an identity arrow is allowed), for example the category of finitely generated Hilbert bimodules.

Examples of DR-algebras are the Cuntz algebras $`𝒪_n`$, associated to $`n`$-dimensional Hilbert spaces with $`n<\mathrm{}`$ (at infinite dimension the Cuntz algebra $`𝒪_{\mathrm{}}`$ is strictly contained in the DR-algebra associated to the Hilbert space, see ), the Pimsner C\*-algebras  associated to Hilbert bimodules and the algebras $`𝒪_G`$ associated to representations of a compact Lie group $`G`$ .

### 2.2 Continuous Fields of C\*-algebras with a circle action.

The following definition for continuous fields of Banach spaces and C\*-algebras appears in . Although less general, it has the advantage of being less technical in comparison with the original one . The two definitions coincide for a compact base space, that is the case in which we are interested.

###### Definition 2.1.

A continuous field of Banach spaces over a locally compact Haussdorff space $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is a pair $`(X,\pi _\omega :XX_\omega )`$, where $`X`$ is a Banach space and $`(\pi _\omega )_\omega `$ is a family of surjective Banach space maps indexed by the points of $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. The Banach spaces $`X_\omega `$ are called the fibers of $`X`$ in $`\omega `$. For each $`x`$ in $`X`$ the family $`(x_\omega :=\pi _\omega (x))_\omega `$ is called the vector field associated to $`x`$. We require the following properties:

* the norm function $`\omega x_\omega `$ belongs to $`C_0(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ for each $`xX`$
* for each $`x`$ in $`X`$, $`x=\underset{\omega }{sup}x_\omega `$
* $`X`$ is a $`C_0(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-module w.r.t. pointwise multiplication by continuous, vanishing at infinity maps over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

The corresponding definition for continuous fields of C\*-algebras is analogous. If $`(A,AA_\omega )`$ is a continuous field of C\*-algebras then $`A`$ is called the C\*-algebra of the field. For further basic notions and terminology (morphisms, local triviality) see the references above.

We now give a characterization of locally trivial continuous fields of C\*-algebras with constant fiber $`A_\omega A`$ in terms of the cohomology set $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },autA)`$ (see  for the definition), where the group of automorphisms $`autA`$ is endowed with the pointwise convergence topology. These classical ideas were first stated in , §26 for continuous fields having as fiber the compact operators, but the same argument works in the general case. The proof of the next theorem, that we omit, is based on usual arguments of transition functions for fiber bundles and makes use of a clutching lemma ( 10.1.13). The hypothesis of connectedness is necessary to fix the fiber, and the compactness of $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ can be replaced with paracompatness using the definition by Dixmier and Douady.

###### Theorem 2.2.

Let $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ be a compact connected Haussdorff space and $`A`$ a C\*-algebra. Then there is a bijective correspondence between the set of isomorphism classes of locally trivial continuous fields of C\*-algebras with fiber $`A`$ over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and the cohomology set $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },autA)`$.

By a general result () we have $`H^1(S^n,G)=\pi _{n1}(G)/\pi _0(G)`$ for each topological group $`G`$, where $`S^n`$ denotes the $`n`$-sphere and $`\pi _0(G)`$ is the set of connected components of $`G`$. Thus the classification of locally trivial continuous fields of C\*-algebras over the $`n`$-spheres is equivalent to the homotopy theory of the group of automorphisms of the fiber. There are several results in this direction in the case of AF-algebras 111The author thanks P. Goldstein for drawing his attention to these references.. The next corollaries will be used and illustrated by explicit examples in the sequel.

###### Corollary 2.3.

With the notation of the previous theorem, let $`(A,\alpha )`$ be a C\*-dynamical system over a topological group $`G`$. Then $`\alpha `$ induces a map from $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },G)`$ into the set of isomorphism classes of locally trivial continuous fields of C\*-algebras with fiber $`A`$.

By the previous corollary, the existence of the automorphic action (2.1) and the well known isomorphism $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },𝕋)H^2(\mathrm{\Omega },)`$ we deduce the following result:

###### Corollary 2.4.

Let $`A`$ be a C\*-algebra carrying a strongly continuous $`𝕋`$-action by automorphisms (as in particular a DR-algebra). Then each element of the Cech cohomology group $`H^2(\mathrm{\Omega },)`$ defines a locally trivial continuous field over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ with fiber $`A`$.

## 3 Extensions of C\*-Categories.

Let $`𝒞`$ be a C\*-category and $`A`$ a C\*-algebra with identity $`1`$. Given a pair $`\rho ,\sigma `$ of objects in $`𝒞`$ we consider the space of arrows $`(\rho ,\sigma )`$; it has the following structure of a Hilbert $`(\sigma ,\sigma )`$$`(\rho ,\rho )`$–bimodule:

$$\{\begin{array}{c}l,sls\hfill \\ s,msm\hfill \\ s,t_R:=s^{}t(\rho ,\rho )\hfill \\ s,t_L:=st^{}(\sigma ,\sigma )\hfill \end{array}$$
(3.1)
where $`s,t(\rho ,\sigma )`$, $`m(\rho ,\rho )`$, $`l(\sigma ,\sigma )`$. As for example in  we construct the exterior tensor product $`A(\rho ,\sigma )`$, that is a right Hilbert C\*-module over the spatial tensor product $`A(\rho ,\rho )`$. In order for more concise notation we write $`(\rho ,\sigma )^A:=A(\rho ,\sigma )`$, while the symbol $`(\rho ,\sigma )_a^A`$ will indicate the algebraic tensor product. We also adopt the Sweedler notation $`x:=x_1x_2,x_1A`$, $`x_2(\rho ,\sigma )`$ for elements of $`(\rho ,\sigma )^A`$. We now define a composition law

$$(\sigma ,\tau )_a^A\times (\rho ,\sigma )_a^A(\rho ,\tau )_a^A$$

extending naturally the one defined on $`𝒞`$:

$$yx:=y_1x_1(y_2x_2)(\rho ,\tau )_a^A$$
(3.2)
where $`y(\sigma ,\tau )_a^A`$, $`x(\rho ,\sigma )_a^A`$. With an abuse of notation we also define an involution

$$:(\rho ,\sigma )_a^A(\sigma ,\rho )_a^A$$

by setting

$$(x_1x_2)^{}:=x_1^{}x_2^{}.$$

The following lemma shows that the extended composition and involution are bounded, hence defined on the closures of the algebraic tensor products.

###### Lemma 3.1.

Let $`x(\rho ,\sigma )_a^A,y(\sigma ,\tau )_a^A`$. Then

* $`x^2=x^{}x=xx^{}`$
* $`yxyx`$
* $`x=x^{}`$

###### Proof.

(1) It is simply the definition of the 2-norm in $`(\rho ,\sigma )^A`$ as a Hilbert C\*-bimodule.

(2) It suffices to observe that $`x^{}(y^{}yy^{}y)x`$ is positive as an element of $`(\rho ,\rho )^A`$.

(3) The isometry of the involution is obtained by embedding $`(\rho ,\sigma )^A`$ via the composition law into the space of the bounded $`(\rho ,\rho )^A`$-linear maps of right Hilbert C\*-modules from $`(\rho ,\rho )^A`$ into $`(\rho ,\sigma )^A`$: if $`x(\rho ,\sigma )^A`$ then $`x^{}`$ is the adjoint of $`x`$ as Hilbert C\*-module map. ∎

In order to define the extension category we consider the category $`\stackrel{~}{𝒞}^A`$ having the same objects of $`𝒞`$ and arrows $`(\rho ,\sigma )^A`$. The previous lemma implies that $`\stackrel{~}{𝒞}^A`$ is a C\*-category; we close for subobjects and obtain in this way a C\*-category $`𝒞^A`$ whose objects are the projections $`e(\rho ,\rho )^A`$. We call $`𝒞^A`$ the extension of $`𝒞`$ by $`A`$. By definition, the spaces of intertwiners in $`𝒞^A`$ are given by

$$(e,f):=\{x(\rho ,\sigma )^A:xe=fx=x\}$$

where $`e(\rho ,\rho )^A,f(\sigma ,\sigma )^A`$. Also by definition $`(e,f)`$ is a Hilbert $`(e,e)`$-$`(f,f)`$-bimodule. In particular the following bimodule action of the center $`𝒵`$ of $`A`$ is defined:

$$\zeta x:=(\zeta 1_\sigma )x=x\zeta :=x(\zeta 1_\rho ),$$

where $`\zeta 𝒵`$, $`x(e,f)`$.

In the case in which $`A`$ is non unital we define $`𝒞^A:=𝒞^{A^+}`$, where $`A^+:=A`$. This definition is motivated by the fact that spaces of intertwiners of an object of a C\*-category have to be unital C\*-algebras.

###### Proposition 3.2.

Let $`𝒞`$ be a C\*-category, $`A`$ a unital C\*-algebra. Then

* $`𝒞^A`$ has subobjects;
* If $`𝒞`$ have direct sums, then so does $`𝒞^A`$.

###### Proof.

The first assertion is obvious. For the second one, let $`e(\rho ,\rho )^A,f(\sigma ,\sigma )^A`$; then $`1_\tau =vv^{}+ww^{}`$, $`1_\rho =v^{}v`$, $`1_\sigma =w^{}w`$ for some object $`\tau `$ in $`𝒞`$ and we can define the isometries $`v_e:=1ve`$, $`w_f:=1wf`$. Thus the projection $`g:=v_ev_e^{}+w_fw_f^{}(\tau ,\tau )^A`$ is a direct sum of $`e`$ and $`f`$. ∎

Before we state some simple functorial properties of the above construction let us introduce the following terminology: a functor between two C\*-categories is said to be a C\*-functor if commutes with the involutions and the maps induced on the spaces of arrows are bounded and linear.

###### Proposition 3.3.

The operation $`𝒞,A𝒞^A`$ of assigning an extension to a C\*-category depends covariantly on the C\*-algebra and covariantly (contravariantly) on the category, corresponding to covariant or contravariant C\*-functors on $`𝒞`$.

###### Proof.

Let $`𝒞`$ be a C\*-category, $`\varphi :AB`$ a C\*-algebra morphism. We construct a pullback C\*-functor $`\varphi _{}:𝒞^A𝒞^B`$. Now there exists, for each object $`\rho `$ in $`𝒞`$, the C\*-algebra morphism

$$\varphi id_{(\rho ,\rho )}:(\rho ,\rho )^A(\rho ,\rho )^B;$$

we define $`\varphi _{}(e):=\varphi id_{(\rho ,\rho )}(e)`$. Now, as $`\varphi id_{(\rho ,\rho )}(x)x`$ for each $`x`$ in $`(\rho ,\rho )^A`$, we define the bounded linear maps

$$\varphi _{}:(\rho ,\sigma )^A(\rho ,\sigma )^B$$

by setting

$$\varphi _{}(as):=\varphi (a)s,$$

By definition $`\varphi _{}(yx)=\varphi _{}(y)\varphi _{}(x)`$, so that $`\varphi _{}(e,f)(\varphi _{}(e),\varphi _{}(f))`$. Let now $`F:𝒞_1𝒞_2`$ be a C\*-functor; we want to define a C\*-functor $`F:𝒞_1^A𝒞_2^A`$. We observe first that for each object $`\rho `$ in $`𝒞_1`$ the C\*-algebra morphism

$$id_AF:(\rho ,\rho )^A(F\rho ,F\rho )^B$$

is induced, so we define

$$F^Ae:=(id_AF)(e).$$

Again, as $`id_AF`$ is bounded, we find that the maps

$$F^A(x_1x_2):=x_1F(x_2),$$

where $`x:=x_1x_2(\rho ,\sigma )_a^A`$, can be extended to $`(\rho ,\sigma )^A`$. It is trivial to check that composition and involution are preserved. The proof for contravariant C\*-functors follows the same lines by using C\*-algebra antihomomorphisms. ∎

###### Corollary 3.4.

If $`𝒞`$ has direct sums, every pullback C\*-functor $`\varphi _{}:𝒞^A𝒞^A`$ preserves direct sums in $`𝒞^A`$.

###### Proof.

Let $`e,f`$ be objects in $`𝒞^A`$. With the notation used in the proof of Prop. 3.2, it suffices to verify that $`\varphi _{}(v_ev_e^{}+w_ew_e^{})`$ is a direct sum of $`\varphi _{}(e),\varphi _{}(f)`$. ∎

In order to emphasize a topological point of view we will adopt in the following the notation $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ to indicate the extension of $`𝒞`$ by a commutative C\*-algebra $`A=C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$; in the same spirit we write $`(\rho ,\sigma )^\mathrm{\Omega }:=(\rho ,\sigma )^{C(\mathrm{\Omega })}C(\mathrm{\Omega },(\rho ,\sigma ))`$ for each pair of objects $`\rho ,\sigma `$ in $`𝒞`$. Let $`\phi :\mathrm{\Omega }^{}\mathrm{\Omega }`$ be a continuous map of compact Haussdorff spaces. Applying the previous proposition we get a pullback functor $`\phi _{}:𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }^{}`$. If $`\phi `$ is the inclusion $`\left\{\omega \right\}\mathrm{\Omega }`$ we call the associated functor the fiber functor of $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ over $`\omega `$ and use the notation $`\omega _{}:𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }𝒞^\omega `$. $`\omega _{}`$ associates to objects and arrows of $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, regarded as continuous maps, their evaluation in $`\omega `$. Note that by definition $`𝒞^\omega `$ is isomorphic to the closure for subobjects of $`𝒞`$.

Proposition 3.3 fails for multifunctors. Let in fact $`F:𝒞_1\times 𝒞_1𝒞_2`$ be a C\*-functor; proceeding with the same argument we could try to define a map

$$F^A:(\rho ,\sigma )_a^A\times (\rho ^{},\sigma ^{})_a^A(F(\rho ,\rho ^{}),F(\sigma ,\sigma ^{}))_a^A$$

by the expression

$$F^A(x_1x_2,x_1^{}x_2^{}):=x_1x_1^{}F(x_2,x_2^{}).$$
(3.3)
In order to verify that this map preserves the composition, let $`x(\rho ,\sigma )_a^A`$, $`x^{}(\rho ^{},\sigma ^{})_a^A`$, $`y(\sigma ,\tau )_a^A`$, $`y^{}(\sigma ^{},\tau ^{})_a^A`$. Then we have

$$F^A(yx,y^{}x^{})=y_1x_1y_1^{}x_1^{}F(y_2,y_2^{})F(x_2,x_2^{});$$

however

$$F^A(y,y^{})F^A(x,x^{})=y_1y_1^{}x_1x_1^{}F(y_2,y_2^{})F(x_2,x_2^{})$$

so that unless $`A`$ is commutative there is no natural way to define $`F^A`$. We specialize for the moment our discussion to the commutative case, but will return to the general case in the subsequent sections.

###### Proposition 3.5.

Let $`𝒞`$ be a C\*-category, $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ a compact Haussdorff space. Then

* Each C\*-functor $`F:𝒞_1\times 𝒞_1𝒞_2`$ induces a C\*-functor $`F^\mathrm{\Omega }:𝒞_1^\mathrm{\Omega }\times 𝒞_1^\mathrm{\Omega }𝒞_2^\mathrm{\Omega }`$.
* $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is a strict tensor C\*-category if $`𝒞`$ itself is so; the space of intertwiners of the identity object $`\iota _\mathrm{\Omega }:=11_\iota `$ in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is $`(\iota _\mathrm{\Omega },\iota _\mathrm{\Omega })𝒞(\mathrm{\Omega })(\iota ,\iota )`$, where $`\iota `$ is the identity object in $`𝒞`$.
* $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is symmetric if $`𝒞`$ is symmetric.
* If $`𝒞`$ has conjugates, then so does $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

###### Proof.

The computation above shows that the map (3.3) preserves the composition of arrows in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Using commutativity of $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ it is also verified that $`F^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ preserves the involution. Now, thanks to the C\*-identity, in order to verify that $`F^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is bounded, it suffices to show this just in the case where the domain object coincides with the codomain. We note that the map $`sF(s,1_\sigma )`$ defines a morphism $`(\rho ,\rho )(F(\rho ,\sigma ),F(\rho ,\sigma ))`$, that we extend to a morphism $`F_\rho ^\mathrm{\Omega }:(\rho ,\rho )^\mathrm{\Omega }(F(\rho ,\sigma ),F(\rho ,\sigma ))^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ tensoring by the identity on $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. Thus, for $`x(\rho ,\rho )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, the inequality $`F_\rho ^\mathrm{\Omega }(x)x`$ holds. Now for $`x(\rho ,\rho )_a^\mathrm{\Omega },y(\sigma ,\sigma )_a^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ we have

$$F^\mathrm{\Omega }(x,y)=F^\mathrm{\Omega }(x,1_\sigma )F^\mathrm{\Omega }(1_\rho ,y)=F_\rho ^\mathrm{\Omega }(x)F_\sigma ^\mathrm{\Omega }(y)$$

so that

$$F^\mathrm{\Omega }(x,y)xy.$$

Thus we can extend $`F^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ to $`(\rho ,\sigma )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and define, for each pair $`e,f`$ in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, the object $`F^\mathrm{\Omega }(e,f)`$ in $`𝒞_2^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ that can be expressed conveniently by the following formal expression

$$F^\mathrm{\Omega }(e,f):=e_1f_1F(e_2,f_2).$$

We pass now to prove the second point. We define the tensor product on $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ as the C\*-functor

$$ef:=e_1f_1e_2\times f_2$$

induced by the tensor product on $`𝒞`$; with an abuse of notation, we write

$$x\times y:=x_1y_1x_2\times y_2$$

to indicate the tensor product of arrows in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$. By (1), the only properties we have to prove are strict associativity and the existence of an identity object. Strict associativity follows by using the strict associativity of the tensor product of arrows in $`𝒞`$. For the symmetry, we define

$$\theta _\mathrm{\Omega }(e,f):=1\theta (\rho ,\sigma )e\times f$$

(in the previous expression we regarded $`e,f`$ as the identity arrows of $`(e,e),(f,f)`$); the properties of symmetry are verified with direct computations. For the existence of conjugates, we observe that $`\stackrel{~}{𝒞}^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ as defined at the beginning of this section obviously has conjugates. Then we apply , Th. 2.4, where it is shown that each subobject of an object having conjugates itself has conjugates. ∎

The following result emphasizes a geometrical interpretation of $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Roughly speaking we can say that while a C\*-category is the categorical analogue of a C\*-algebra, $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is an example of the categorical analogue of a continuous field of C\*-algebras.

###### Proposition 3.6.

Let $`𝒞`$ be a C\*-category closed for subobjects, $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ a compact Haussdorff space. Then

* Each object $`e`$ in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ defines, via the fiber functors $`\omega _{}:𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }𝒞`$, a family $`\left\{e_\omega \right\}_{\omega \mathrm{\Omega }}`$ of objects in $`𝒞`$, called the fibers of $`e`$;
* The involution on $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is defined fiberwise, i.e. $`\omega _{}=\omega _{}`$ for each $`\omega \mathrm{\Omega }`$;
* For each $`e,f`$ objects in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, the space of arrows $`(e,f)`$ defines a locally trivial continuous field of Banach spaces

$$\{(e,f),\omega _{}:(e,f)(e_\omega ,f_\omega )\},$$
(3.4)
over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, with fibers the spaces of intertwiners $`(e_\omega ,f_\omega )`$ of the fibers of $`e,f`$ in $`𝒞`$.
* If $`𝒞`$ is strict tensor the tensor product defined on $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ induces on the spaces of arrows morphisms of continuous fields of Banach spaces.

###### Proof.

The first and second points are obvious. For the third point, note that $`e(\rho ,\rho )^\mathrm{\Omega },f(\sigma ,\sigma )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ can be regarded as continuous functions $`\omega e(\omega ),f(\omega )`$. Then we consider in $`𝒞`$ the subobjects $`e_\omega :=\omega _{}(e),f_\omega :=\omega _{}(f)`$ defined by $`e(\omega ),f(\omega )`$, and prove that (3.4) is a continuous field of Banach spaces. If $`x(e,f)(\rho ,\sigma )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ then the continuous function $`\omega x(\omega )`$ is defined; we put $`x_\omega :=\omega _{}(x)(e_\omega ,f_\omega )`$ and observe that $`(e_\omega ,f_\omega )`$ is isometrically isomorphic as a Banach space to $`(e(\omega ),f(\omega ))(\rho ,\sigma )`$ via the map $`sw_\omega sv_\omega ^{}`$, where $`s(e_\omega ,f_\omega ),v_\omega ^{}v_\omega =1_{e_\omega },v_\omega v_\omega ^{}=e_\omega ,w_\omega ^{}w_\omega =1_{f_\omega },w_\omega w_\omega ^{}=f_\omega `$. Thus

$$x_\omega =x(\omega )$$
(3.5)
and the function $`\omega x_\omega `$ is continuous. The equality (3.5) implies also that $`x=\underset{\omega }{sup}x_\omega `$. We already know that $`(e,f)`$ is a Banach $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-module, so have proved that (3.4) is a continuous field of Banach spaces. We postpone the proof of local triviality until the next lemma. Finally, we have to prove that the map $`x,yx\times y`$, $`x(e,e^{})`$, $`y(f,f^{})`$ preserves the fibers, i.e. $`\omega _{}(x\times y)=\omega _{}(x)\times \omega _{}(y)`$, but this is obvious regarding $`x,y`$ as continuous map and recalling the definition of the fiber functor. ∎

###### Lemma 3.7 (Local Triviality).

Let $`e,f`$ be objects in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Then

* If the maps $`\omega e(\omega ),f(\omega )`$ are constant there exist objects $`\rho _0,\sigma _0`$ in $`𝒞`$ such that there is an isomorphism of continuous fields of Banach spaces $`(e,f)(\rho _0,\sigma _0)^\mathrm{\Omega }`$;
* Each point $`\omega `$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ admits a neighborhood $`U`$ such that there is an isomorphism of continuous fields of Banach spaces $`(e,f)|_U(e_\omega ,f_\omega )^U`$.

###### Proof.

We define $`\rho _0:=e_\omega ,\sigma _0:=f_\omega `$ . By hypothesis there exist isometries $`v(\rho ,\rho _0),w(\sigma ,\sigma _0)`$ intertwining $`e,f`$ with the units arrows $`1_{\rho _0},1_{\sigma _0}`$. Thus the map $`xwxv^{},x(e,f)`$, defines the isomorphism between $`(e,f)`$ and $`(\rho _0,\sigma _0)^\mathrm{\Omega }`$. For the second point, since $`e(\rho ,\rho )^\mathrm{\Omega },f(\sigma ,\sigma )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, for each $`\omega `$ there exists a closed neighborhood $`U`$ such that $`e(\omega )e(\omega ^{})`$, $`f(\omega )f(\omega ^{})\delta <1,\omega ^{}U`$. This implies that $`e|_U,f|_U`$ and the constant maps $`e_U:=e(\omega ),f_U:=f(\omega )`$ are Murray-Von Neumann equivalent as elements of the C\*-algebras $`(\rho ,\rho )^U,(\sigma ,\sigma )^U`$. Applying (1), since $`e_U,f_U`$ are constant maps, there must be an isomorphism $`(e,f)|_U(e_\omega ,f_\omega )^U`$. ∎

Some examples of extension categories follow.

###### Example 3.1.

The category of finite dimensional Hilbert spaces is a tensor C\*-category if endowed with the usual tensor product. To get an equivalent strict tensor C\*-category we proceed as in  and consider the category $`\mathrm{𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐛}`$ with objects the positive integers $`n`$ and arrows the spaces of $`n\times m`$ matrices $`(n,m):=𝕄_{n,m}`$. The tensor product on objects is the multiplication, while on arrows it is defined by the ”lexicographical” product for matrices (see for example  §1.4). The extension $`\mathrm{𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐛}^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is the category of projective, finitely generated $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-modules hence, by the Swan-Serre theorem , equivalent to the category of Hermitian vector bundles over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. In the non commutative case we get the finitely generated projective (right) Hilbert $`A`$-modules.

###### Example 3.2.

Let $`\widehat{G}`$ be the category of unitary, finite dimensional, continuous representations of a compact group $`G`$. Each object $`(n,u)`$ in $`\widehat{G}`$ is a topological group map $`G𝐔_n`$ into the unitary group of the $`n`$-dimensional matrices. An object in $`\widehat{G}^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is a projection $`e_u`$ in $`𝕄_nC(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ that commutes with the action of $`G`$ induced by $`u`$ and, given $`(n,u)`$, $`(m,v)`$ objects in $`\widehat{G}`$, the intertwiners $`t(e_u,f_v)`$ are continuous functions from $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ into the space of $`n\times m`$ matrices and satisfy the relations $`t=te_u=f_vt,v_gt=tu_g`$ for each $`gG`$. Hence we get the category of $`G`$-Hermitian vector bundles with trivial action of $`G`$ over the base space $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ ( §1.6,  §1.6). The non commutative analogue is given by the finitely generated projective Hilbert $`A`$-modules carrying a unitary representation of $`G`$.

###### Example 3.3.

We can generalize the previous example by considering the category of finite dimensional (co)representations of a unital Hopf C\*-algebra $`(A,\mathrm{\Delta })`$, i.e. a compact quantum group in the sense of Woronowicz (see for example the introductory paper  and related references). This is a strict tensor C\*-category having direct sums, subobjects and conjugates. The objects are given by pairs $`(n,u)`$, where $`u𝕄_nA`$ satisfies

$$\mathrm{\Delta }(u_{lm})=\underset{k}{}u_{lk}u_{km},$$

while an arrow $`x`$ from $`(n,u)`$ to $`(m,v)`$ is an $`n\times m`$ matrix such that $`v(1x)=(1x)u`$. An object in the extension category over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is then a Hermitian vector bundle $``$ carrying an injective comodule action by $`A`$, in the sense explained below: the tensor product $`A`$ is naturally endowed with the structure of a vector $`A`$-bundle in the sense of . Then a vector bundle morphism $`\phi _u:A`$ is induced, defined fiberwise by setting

$$\phi _u(\xi _\omega ):=u(\xi _\omega 1),$$
(3.6)
where $`\omega \mathrm{\Omega },\xi _\omega _\omega ^n`$. Now tensoring again with $`A`$ we obtain a vector $`AA`$-bundle and $`id_{}\mathrm{\Delta }`$ induces a vector bundle morphism $`AAA`$. Then we have the identity

$$(id_{}\mathrm{\Delta })\phi _u=(\phi _uid_A)\phi _u.$$

Note that similar comodule actions over vector bundles can be defined more generally for continuous fields of Hopf C\*-algebras.

###### Example 3.4.

Let $`A`$ be a unital C\*-algebra with trivial center. Then the category $`\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}A`$ , having as objects the endomorphisms of $`A`$ and arrows

$$(\rho ,\sigma )=\{tA:t\rho (a)=\sigma (a)t,aA\},$$

is a strict tensor C\*-category if endowed with the tensor structure given by the composition of endomorphisms and tensor product on arrows defined by $`r\times s:=r\rho (s)=\rho ^{}(s)r`$, $`r(\rho ,\rho ^{}),s(\sigma ,\sigma ^{})`$. We consider the extension category $`\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}^\mathrm{\Omega }A`$ having as objects the projections in $`(\rho ,\rho )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Let $`\rho \mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}A`$ such that the space of intertwiners $`(\iota ,\rho )`$ is a not null Hilbert space in $`A`$ (in the sense of ); given an object $`e`$ in $`\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}^\mathrm{\Omega }A`$ we can regard it as a projection on $`(\iota ,\rho )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and get in this way the continuous field of Hilbert spaces $`_e:=e(\iota ,\rho )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, embedded as a $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-bimodule in $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })A`$ in the sense of . Now if $`(\iota ,\rho )`$ is finite dimensional $`_e`$ is finitely generated as $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-bimodule; thus, given a set of generators $`\left\{\psi _k\right\}`$ of $`_e`$, there exists an endomorphism $`\rho _e`$ of $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })A`$ defined (independently from the choice of the $`\psi _k`$’s) by the map $`a\underset{k}{}\psi _ka\psi _k^{},aC(\mathrm{\Omega })A`$. Note that $`\rho _e`$ is a $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-module map.

Our purpose is now to give a description of the objects of $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ in terms of principal bundles, giving a categorical version of well known facts about vector bundles, such as the Swan-Serre Theorem. In the following, $`𝒞`$ will denote a C\*-category closed for subobjects. In order to simplify the exposition we will assume that $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is connected.

###### Lemma 3.8.

Let $`e`$ be an object in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Then for each $`\omega ,\omega ^{}\mathrm{\Omega }`$ the associated fibers $`e_\omega ,e_\omega ^{}`$ are unitarily equivalent in $`𝒞`$.

###### Proof.

By compactness of $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and continuity of $`e`$ there exists, using the argument of the local triviality lemma, a finite open cover $`\left\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\right\}`$ such that $`e(\omega )`$ and $`e(\omega ^{})`$ are Murray-Von Neumann equivalent as elements of $`(\rho ,\rho )`$ if $`\omega `$ and $`\omega ^{}`$ belong to the same $`\mathrm{\Omega }_i`$. Now there must exist some $`\omega ^{\prime \prime }`$ belonging to $`\mathrm{\Omega }_{ij}`$, so that the Murray-Von Neumann equivalence class of $`e(\omega )`$ is constant as $`\omega `$ varies in $`\mathrm{\Omega }_i\mathrm{\Omega }_j`$. $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ being connected, we obtain that $`e(\omega )`$ and $`e(\omega ^{})`$ are equivalent for each $`\omega ,\omega ^{}`$, so there exists an isometry $`v_{\omega ^{},\omega }`$ such that $`v_{\omega ^{},\omega }v_{\omega ^{},\omega }^{}=e(\omega ^{}),v_{\omega ^{},\omega }^{}v_{\omega ^{},\omega }=e(\omega )`$. The claim of the lemma now follows observing that, by definition of $`e_\omega `$ , $`e(\omega )=w_\omega ^{}w_\omega ,1_{e_\omega }=w_\omega w_\omega ^{}`$, so that $`u_{\omega ^{},\omega }:=w_\omega ^{}v_{\omega ^{},\omega }w_\omega ^{}`$ is a unitary arrow in $`(e_\omega ,e_\omega ^{})`$. ∎

###### Definition 3.9.

Let $`e(\rho ,\rho )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ be an object in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$. A trivialization of $`e`$ is a family $`(\rho _0,\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i,v_i\}_i)`$ where $`\rho _0`$ is an object in $`𝒞`$, $`\left\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\right\}`$ is an open cover of $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and $`v_i(\rho ,\rho _0)^{\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_i}}`$ satisfy the relations $`e|_{\mathrm{\Omega }_i}=v_i^{}v_i,1_{\rho _0}=v_iv_i^{}`$.

###### Lemma 3.10.

Let $`e`$ be an object in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

* $`e`$ admits a trivialization $`(\rho _0,\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i,v_i\}_i)`$.
* There is a continuous map $`\alpha _{ij}:\mathrm{\Omega }_{ij}:=\mathrm{\Omega }_i\mathrm{\Omega }_j(\rho _0,\rho _0)`$ such that $`\alpha _{ij}\alpha _{ij}^{}=\alpha _{ij}^{}\alpha _{ij}=1_{\rho _0}`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }_{ij}`$, $`\alpha _{ij}\alpha _{jk}=\alpha _{ik}`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }_{ijk}`$.
* The equivalence class of $`(\left\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\right\},\left\{\alpha _{ij}\right\})`$ in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },𝐔_{\rho _0})`$ does not depend on the choice of the trivialization of $`e`$.

###### Proof.

The existence of the trivialization follows from local triviality and the previous lemma. Now given the trivialization $`(\rho _0,\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i,v_i\}_i)`$, $`\alpha _{ij}:=v_iv_j^{}`$ then satisfies the conditions required in the second point. Regarding the last point, we fix a fiber $`\rho _0`$ of $`e`$ and consider two trivializations $`(\rho _0,\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i,v_i\}_i)`$, $`(\rho _0,\{\mathrm{\Omega }_l^{},v_l^{}\}_l)`$, defining $`\alpha _{ij}:=v_iv_j^{}`$, $`\alpha _{lm}^{}:=v_l^{}v_m^{}`$. Then $`\alpha _{ij}=u_{il}\alpha _{lm}^{}u_{jm}^{}`$, where $`u_{il}=v_iv_l^{}`$. ∎

###### Proposition 3.11.

Let $`𝒞`$ be a C\*-category closed for subobjects and $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ a connected, compact Haussdorff space. Then for each object $`e`$ in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ there exists an object $`\rho _0`$ in $`𝒞`$, defined up to unitary equivalence, and an element $`\delta (e)`$ in the cohomology set $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },𝐔_{\rho _0})`$. Two objects $`e`$ and $`f`$ in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ are unitarily equivalent if and only if $`\delta (e)=\delta (f)`$.

###### Proof.

Define $`\delta (e)`$ to be the class in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },𝐔_{\rho _0})`$ of the cocycles coming from trivializations of $`e`$. If $`e=vv^{}`$ and $`f=v^{}v`$ are unitarily equivalent then we can choose the same fiber $`\rho _0`$ for $`e`$ and $`f`$, and if $`(\left\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\right\},\left\{\alpha _{ij}:=v_iv_j^{}\right\})`$ is a cocycle for $`e`$, then $`(\rho _0,\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i,v_iv\}_i)`$ is a trivialization of $`f`$ defining the cocycle $`v_ivv^{}v_j^{}=\alpha _{ij}`$ so that $`\delta (e)=\delta (f)`$. Let now $`e`$ and $`f`$ be such that $`\delta (e)=\delta (f)`$. Then there are two equivalent cocycles $`(\left\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\right\},\left\{\alpha _{ij}:=v_iv_j^{}\right\})`$, $`(\left\{\mathrm{\Omega }_l^{}\right\},\left\{\alpha _{lm}^{}:=v_l^{}v_m^{}\right\})`$ associated respectively to $`e`$ and $`f`$, and there exist continuous maps $`u_{il}`$ from $`\mathrm{\Omega }_i\mathrm{\Omega }_l^{}`$ into $`𝐔_{\rho _0}`$ such that $`v_iv_j^{}=u_{il}v_l^{}v_m^{}u_{jm}^{}`$. We define $`w_{il}:=v_l^{}u_{il}^{}v_i(e,f)|_{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\mathrm{\Omega }_l^{}}`$; then $`w_{il}^{}w_{il}=e|_{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\mathrm{\Omega }_l^{}},w_{il}w_{il}^{}=f|_{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\mathrm{\Omega }_l^{}}`$ and $`w_{il}|_{\mathrm{\Omega }_{ij}\mathrm{\Omega }_{lm}^{}}=w_{jm}|_{\mathrm{\Omega }_{ij}\mathrm{\Omega }_{lm}^{}}`$ so that we can clutch together the $`w_{il}`$’s and obtain an isometry $`w`$ intertwining $`e`$ and $`f`$. ∎

## 4 Continuous Fields of DR-Algebras.

In this section we prove the main result about the interpretation of DR-algebras associated to objects in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ as continuous fields of C\*-algebras. We state the result for $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, but the argument works without substantial changes for ’continuous fields of C\*-categories’ satisfying the properties stated in Proposition 3.6. We will assume in the rest of this section that $`𝒞`$ has subobjects. The following lemma states a sufficient condition to be the tensoring with the unit arrow an isometric map; recall that we need this property to construct the inductive limits structures in the DR-algebra.

###### Lemma 4.1.

Let $`e(\rho ,\rho )^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ be an object in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$. If $`s=s\times 1_{e_\omega }`$ for each fiber $`e_\omega `$ of $`e`$, $`s(\sigma ,\sigma ^{})`$, then $`x\times e=x`$ for each $`x(f,f^{})(\sigma ,\sigma ^{})^\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

###### Proof.

By Proposition 3.6 follows that for each $`\omega \mathrm{\Omega }`$ there exist isometries $`v_\omega ,w_\omega `$ providing an (isometric) C\*-algebra isomorphism

$$\begin{array}{c}((fe)(\omega ),(f^{}e)(\omega ))(f_\omega e_\omega ,f_\omega ^{}e_\omega )\\ y(\omega )v_\omega \times w_\omega y(\omega )v_\omega ^{}\times w_\omega ^{}\end{array}$$

so that

$$\begin{array}{cc}x(\omega )\times e(\omega )^2\hfill & =x(\omega )^{}x(\omega )\times e(\omega )\hfill \\ & =v_\omega \times w_\omega x(\omega )^{}x(\omega )\times e(\omega )v_\omega ^{}\times w_\omega ^{}\hfill \\ & =v_\omega x(\omega )^{}x(\omega )v_\omega ^{}\times 1_{\rho _\omega }\hfill \\ & =v_\omega x(\omega )^{}x(\omega )v_\omega ^{}=x(\omega )^2.\hfill \end{array}$$

This proves the lemma. ∎

In the case in which the isometry of tensoring on the right with a unit arrow is not verified we can quotient as in , §4 for each fiber, so that the hypothesis of the previous lemma is satisfied. In the following we assume that $`e`$ satisfies the hypothesis of the previous lemma. We start by stating a triviality result.

###### Lemma 4.2.

If $`e`$ is a constant map then there is a C\*-algebra isomorphism $`𝒪_eC(\mathrm{\Omega })𝒪_{\rho _0}`$.

###### Proof.

By the first point of the local triviality lemma there exists an isometry $`v(\rho ,\rho _0)`$ and a family of Banach space isomorphisms $`\phi _v^k:=(\phi _v^{r,k})_r`$, defined by

$$\phi _v^{r,k}(x):=v^{r+k}xv^r(\rho _0^r,\rho _0^{r+k})$$

where $`x(e^r,e^{r+k})`$. Hence $`\phi _v^k`$ defines an isomorphism of $``$-graded C\*-algebras

$${}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{e}^{}\underset{k}{}(C(\mathrm{\Omega })𝒪_{\rho _0}^k).$$

###### Lemma 4.3.

For each $`k`$ $``$$`𝒪_e^k`$ has the structure of a locally trivial continuous field of Banach spaces $`(𝒪_e^k,\omega _{}:𝒪_e^k𝒪_{e_\omega }^k)`$.

###### Proof.

Tensoring on the right with $`e`$ gives the isometric embedding of continuous fields of Banach spaces

$$\begin{array}{ccc}(e^r,e^{r+k})& & (e^{r+1},e^{r+k+1})\\ x& & x\times e\end{array}$$

and we have the commutative diagram

so that the evaluation over $`\omega `$ is well defined for $`𝒪_e^k`$:

$$\omega _{}:𝒪_e^k𝒪_{e_\omega }^k.$$

The properties of continuous fields of Banach spaces are naturally inherited by the continuous fields $`(e^r,e^{r+k})`$. For local triviality, it suffices to note the compatibility of the local charts defined above with the inductive limit structure. ∎

Let now $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ be a subset of $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$; we define $`{}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{e,\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{}:=\left\{𝒪_{e,\mathrm{\Sigma }}^k\right\}_k`$, where

$$𝒪_{e,\mathrm{\Sigma }}^k:=\left\{(x_\omega )_{\omega \mathrm{\Sigma }}\underset{\omega \mathrm{\Sigma }}{}𝒪_{e_\omega }^k,x𝒪_e^k\right\}.$$

Since $`x_\omega x`$ on each $`𝒪_{e,\mathrm{\Sigma }}^k`$ the norm $`x_\mathrm{\Sigma }:=sup_{\omega \mathrm{\Sigma }}x_\omega `$ is defined, so that $`𝒪_{e,\mathrm{\Sigma }}^k`$ has the structure of a $``$-graded C\*-algebra. We indicate the associated C\*-algebra with the notation $`𝒪_{e,\mathrm{\Sigma }}`$; it is naturally equipped with the evaluation morphisms $`\pi _\omega (x):=x_\omega 𝒪_{e_\omega }`$, $`x𝒪_{e,\mathrm{\Sigma }}`$.

We now observe that the fiber functor $`\omega _{}:𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }𝒞`$ induces, by , Th. 5.1, a C\*-algebra morphism

$$\begin{array}{c}𝒪_e𝒪_{e_\omega }\\ xx_\omega \end{array}$$

By abuse of notation we denote this morphism by $`\omega _{}`$. The following lemma will imply the local triviality of the continuous field defined by $`𝒪_e`$.

###### Lemma 4.4.

For each $`\omega _0`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ there are a neighborhood $`U`$ of $`\omega _0`$, an isomorphism $`\alpha _U:𝒪_{e,U}C(\overline{U})𝒪_{e_{\omega _0}}`$ and a family $`(\alpha _\omega )_{\omega U}`$ of isomorphisms $`\alpha _\omega :𝒪_{e_\omega }𝒪_{e_{\omega _0}}`$ such that, for each $`\omega U`$, $`\alpha _\omega \pi _\omega =\omega _{}\alpha _U`$.

###### Proof.

The existence of $`\alpha _U`$ follows by the previous lemmas and the isomorphism is constructed with an isometry $`v_U(\rho ,\rho )^U`$ such that $`v_U^{}v_U=e|_U`$, $`v_Uv_U^{}=e(\omega _0)`$. We have also, for each $`\omega `$, isometries $`w_\omega `$, $`w_\omega ^{}`$ implementing the following Banach space isomorphisms

the map defined by the upper horizontal arrow providing the isomorphism $`\alpha _\omega `$ that, by construction, satisfies the condition required. ∎

###### Corollary 4.5.

For each $`x`$ in $`𝒪_e`$, the norm function $`\omega x_\omega `$ is continuous, and $`x=x_\mathrm{\Omega }:=\underset{\omega }{sup}x_\omega `$.

###### Proof.

Let $`\omega _0\mathrm{\Omega }`$; then for $`\omega `$ in a suitable neighborhood of $`\omega _0`$

$$x_\omega =\alpha _\omega x_\omega =(\alpha _Ux)(\omega )$$

and the last term is a continuous function as $`\omega `$ varies in $`U`$. To prove the result about the norm of $`x`$ it suffices to check that $`_\mathrm{\Omega }`$ has the required property w.r.t. the circle action. But it is obvious that $`_\mathrm{\Omega }=\phi _z_\mathrm{\Omega },z𝕋`$. ∎

The previous results imply the following

###### Theorem 4.6.

Let $`𝒞`$ be a strict tensor C\*-category closed for subobjects, $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ a compact Haussdorff space. If $`e`$ is an object in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, then $`𝒪_e`$ is the C\*-algebra of a locally trivial continuous field $`(𝒪_e,\omega _{}:𝒪_e𝒪_{e_\omega })`$, where each $`𝒪_{e_\omega }`$ is the DR-algebra of an object $`e_\omega 𝒞`$. If $`e`$,$`f`$ are unitarily equivalent objects in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, then the associated C\*-algebras are isomorphic as continuous fields.

Recall that by Prop.3.11 every object $`e`$ in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is described up to unitary equivalence by an element of a cohomology set $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },𝐔_\rho )`$. Now (see Sec.2), for each object $`\rho `$ in $`𝒞`$ the canonical C\*-dynamical system $`(\phi ,𝒪_\rho )`$ over $`𝐔_\rho `$ is defined. By Cor. 2.3 there is an application $`\phi _{}`$ from $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },𝐔_\rho )`$ into $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },aut𝒪_\rho )`$. We have the following:

###### Proposition 4.7.

Let $`𝒞`$ be a strict tensor C\*-category closed for subobjects, $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ a connected, compact Haussdorff space.

* The element of $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },aut𝒪_\rho )`$ defined by $`𝒪_e`$ is $`\phi _{}(\delta (e))`$.
* For each couple of objects $`e,f`$ in $`𝒞^\mathrm{\Omega }`$, $`𝒪_e𝒪_f`$ iff $`\phi _{}(\delta (e))=\phi _{}(\delta (f))`$.

###### Proof.

Let $`(\rho ,\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i,v_i\}_i)`$ be a trivialization of $`e`$ defining the cocycle $`\alpha _{ij}`$$`:=v_iv_j^{}`$; then the trivialization $`\phi _i:𝒪_e|_{\mathrm{\Omega }_i}C(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_i})𝒪_\rho `$, with $`\phi _i(x):=\phi _{v_i}^{r,k}(x),x(e^r,e^{r+k})`$, is induced on $`𝒪_e`$. Thus $`(\left\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\right\},\left\{\widehat{\alpha }_{ij}:=\phi _i\phi _j^1\right\})`$ is a cocycle for $`𝒪_e`$ and for $`s(\rho ^r,\rho ^{r+k})`$ we have

$$\begin{array}{cc}\widehat{\alpha }_{ij}(\omega )s\hfill & =\phi _{v_i(\omega )}^{r,k}\phi _{v_i^{}(\omega )}^{r,k}(s)\hfill \\ & =v_i^{r+k}(\omega )v_j^{r+k}(\omega )sv_j^r(\omega )v_i^r(\omega )\hfill \\ & =(v_iv_j^{}(\omega ))^{r+k}s(v_iv_j^{}(\omega ))^r\hfill \\ & =\phi (\alpha _{ij}(\omega ))s.\hfill \end{array}$$

This completes the proof of the first statement. The second follows by Theorem 2.2. ∎

The basic example to illustrate the previous results is given by the category of Hermitian vector bundles over a compact Haussdorff space $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. In this case Thm.4.6 implies that the DR-algebra $`𝒪_{}`$ of a Hermitian vector bundle $``$ is the C\*-algebra of a continuous field of Cuntz algebras over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. We give here a brief description of such algebras, postponing a detailed study to a successive work.

We start by considering the spaces of arrows $`(^r,^{r+k})`$ between tensor powers of $``$; recall that by general facts  4.3,  there is a natural identification

$$(^r,^{r+k})(\sigma _{}^r,\sigma _{}^{r+k}):=\{x𝒪_{}:x\sigma _{}^r(y)=\sigma _{}^{r+k}(y)x,y𝒪_{}\}$$
(4.1)
where $`\sigma _{}`$ is the canonical endomorphism on $`𝒪_{}`$. In the case $`r=0`$ we have the trivial bundle $`\iota :=\mathrm{\Omega }\times `$, so that $`(\iota ,)`$ can be regarded as the module of continuous sections of $``$ and is generated by a finite set $`\left\{\psi _l(\iota ,),l=1,\mathrm{},N\right\}`$. Now, each element of a fiber of $``$ being the evaluation of a section at a point $`\omega `$, we have

$$\xi _\omega =\underset{l}{}\psi _l(\omega )\psi _l(\omega ),\xi _\omega $$

where $`\xi _\omega _\omega `$. This fact is translated in the following relation on the $`\psi _l`$’s as elements of $`𝒪_{}`$

$$\underset{l}{}\psi _l\psi _l^{}=1.$$
(4.2)
Note that every $`(^r,^s)`$ has a natural structure of a $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-$`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-bimodule by considering the coinciding left and right actions given by multiplication with continuous functions over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. In particular $`(\iota ,)`$ is a Hilbert $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-$`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-bimodule. We have the following

###### Proposition 4.8.

Let $``$ be a Hermitian vector bundle over a compact space $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, $`\left\{\psi _l\right\}_{l=1}^N`$ a finite set of generators for $`(\iota ,)`$. Then:

* Each $`(^r,^{r+k})`$ is generated as a right $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-module by the sets

$$\left\{\psi _J\psi _I^{},\psi _I(\iota ,^r),\psi _J(\iota ,^{r+k})\right\};$$
* $`𝒪_{}`$ is the Pimsner C\*-algebra generated by $`(\iota ,)`$ and $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$;
* $`𝒪_{}`$ is nuclear;
* The canonical endomorphism is inner, i.e. for each $`x𝒪_{}`$

$$\sigma _{}(x)=\underset{l}{}\psi _lx\psi _l^{}.$$

###### Proof.

(1) The identity (4.2) implies that $`_I\psi _I\psi _I^{}=1`$ where $`\psi _I:=\psi _{i_1}\mathrm{}\psi _{i_r}(\iota ,^r)`$. Hence for $`t(^r,^{r+k})`$ we get $`t=_{I,J}\psi _I\psi _I^{}T_{IJ}`$, where $`T_{IJ}:=\psi _J^{}t\psi _I(\iota ,\iota )C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$.

(2) By (1) it follows that $`𝒪_{}`$ is generated as a C\*-algebra by $`(\iota ,)`$.

(3) By  $`𝒪_{}`$ is exact, so that (see ) for every C\*-algebra $`A`$ the maximal and spatial tensor products $`𝒪_{}_{max}A`$, $`𝒪_{}A`$ each have a natural structure of a continuous field with fiber respectively $`𝒪_{n(\omega )}_{max}A`$, $`𝒪_{n(\omega )}A`$, where $`n(\omega )`$ is the rank of $``$ in $`\omega `$. Since $`𝒪_{n(\omega )}`$ is nuclear the maximal and spatial norms coincide over the algebraic tensor product of $`𝒪_{}`$ by $`A`$.

(4) As $`(\iota ,)=(\iota ,\sigma _{})`$ we find that $`\sigma _{}(t)\psi _l=\psi _lt`$ for each $`t𝒪_{}`$. Then we apply (4.2). ∎

We recall that if $`AB`$ is an inclusion of C\*-algebras a Hilbert $`A`$-module in $`B`$  is given by a subspace $`𝒳`$ of $`B`$ closed under right multiplication by elements of $`A`$ and such that $`x^{}yA`$, $`x,y𝒳`$. If there is a finite set $`\left\{x_l\right\}𝒳`$ such that, with $`p=_lx_lx_l^{}`$, $`x=px`$ for each $`x`$ $`𝒳`$ then $`p`$ is a projection, called the support of $`𝒳`$, and we say that $`\left\{x_l\right\}`$ generates $`𝒳`$ as a Hilbert $`A`$-module. By this definition it follows that $`(\iota ,)`$ is a finitely generated $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-module in $`𝒪_{}`$ with support the identity. The previous proposition implies

###### Corollary 4.9.

Let $`,`$ be Hermitian vector bundles over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

* If $`𝒪_{}`$ is isomorphic to $`𝒪_{}`$ then $`(\iota ,)`$ appears embedded in $`𝒪_{}`$ as a $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-module with support the identity.
* If $`(\iota ,)`$ is a Hilbert $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$-module in $`𝒪_{}`$ with support the identity then there is an isometric embedding $`𝒪_{}𝒪_{}`$.

The description of $`𝒪_{}`$ as the C\*-algebra generated by the module of continuous sections of $``$ supplies a picture in terms of generators and relations. Each set of generators $`\left\{\psi _l\right\}`$ of $`(\iota ,)`$, regarded in $`𝒪_{}`$, satisfies the relations

$$\{\begin{array}{c}\underset{l}{}\psi _l\psi _l^{}=1\hfill \\ \psi _l^{}\psi _m=e_{lm}1\hfill \end{array}$$
(4.3)
where $`e_{lm}C(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. Note that (4.3) implies that $`(e_{lm})𝕄_NC(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ is a projection, in fact the projection associated to $``$ as a subbundle of $`\mathrm{\Omega }\times ^N`$. We can use (4.3) as starting point to give an alternative proof of the fact that each projection $`e𝕄_NC(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ defines a continuous field of Cuntz algebras. We proceed on the line of  and generalize in the following way: let $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ be a compact Haussdorff space, $`𝒲_n`$ the free \*-algebra with identity $`1`$ generated by $`n`$ symbols $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_n`$. Then we can consider the \*-algebra $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })𝒲_n`$ with certain relations $`r_1,\mathrm{},r_k`$ over $`1_{C(\mathrm{\Omega })}w_1,\mathrm{},1_{C(\mathrm{\Omega })}w_n`$. Since $`r_1,\mathrm{},r_k`$ are relations in $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })𝒲_n`$, they define, for each $`\omega \mathrm{\Omega }`$, a set of relations $`r_1(\omega ),\mathrm{},r_k(\omega )`$ on $`𝒲_n`$, hence a C\*-algebra $`A_\omega `$obtained by closing $`𝒲_n/\left\{r_i(\omega )\right\}`$ with respect a suitable C\*-norm $`_\omega `$ (see  for details). Now, by evaluating continuous functions on $`\omega `$, each element $`x`$ of the \*-algebra $`(C(\mathrm{\Omega })𝒲_n)/\left\{r_i\right\}`$ defines a vector field $`\left\{x_\omega 𝒲_n/\left\{r_i(\omega )\right\}\right\}`$. If one shows that the norm function $`\omega x_\omega _\omega `$ is continuous, the C\*-norm $`x:=sup_\omega x_\omega _\omega `$ on $`(C(\mathrm{\Omega })𝒲_n)/\left\{r_i\right\}`$ can be defined, obtaining a C\*-algebra $`A`$ endowed with natural morphisms $`\pi _\omega :AA_\omega `$. Hence $`(A,\pi _\omega :AA_\omega )`$ is a continuous field of C\*-algebras over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. We now regard at (4.3) as a set of relations on $`C(\mathrm{\Omega })𝒲_N`$: then it is easily verified that the relations (4.3) evaluated in $`\omega `$ are equivalent to the relations defining the Cuntz algebra implemented by $`n_\omega :=\mathrm{rank}(e(\omega ))`$ isometries $`\left\{s_k(\omega )\right\}_{k=1}^{n_\omega }`$ obtained as an orthonormal base of the vector space spanned by the symbols at the point $`\omega `$. Thus the C\*-algebra obtained at $`\omega `$ is the Cuntz algebra $`𝒪_{n_\omega }`$. The last thing we have to verify to get a continuous field is the continuity of the norm function. Expressing each generator $`(\psi _l)_\omega `$ in terms of the $`s_k(\omega )`$’s we get, using standard calculations, $`(\psi _l)_\omega _\omega ^2=e_{ll}(\omega )`$, so that the norm function is continuous.

We now give the expression for the cocycle associated to the C\*-algebra of a vector bundle $`𝒪_{}`$. As we showed in a more general setting in Prop. 3.11, it is well known (cf. for example ) that the cohomology set $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega },𝐔_n)`$ classifies the Hermitian vector bundles with rank $`n`$ over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$; now if $``$ is identified by the $`𝐔_n`$-cocycle $`(\left\{\mathrm{\Omega }_i\right\},\left\{\alpha _{ij}\right\})`$ then the $`aut𝒪_n`$-cocycle describing $`𝒪_{}`$ is given by

$$(\phi _{}\alpha _{ij})(\omega )t:=\alpha _{ij}(\omega )^{r+k}t\alpha _{ij}(\omega )^r,$$
(4.4)
where $`t(n^r,n^{r+k})𝒪_n`$.

Let us give an explicit example. Recall by Cor. 2.4 that every $`zH^1(\mathrm{\Omega },𝕋)`$ defines, for each $`n`$, a locally trivial continuous field $`_{z,n}`$ having as fiber the Cuntz algebra $`𝒪_n`$. Furthermore it is well known that $`z`$ can be viewed, up to cocycle equivalence, as a set of transition functions $`z_{ij}:\mathrm{\Omega }_{ij}𝕋`$ for a line bundle $``$ over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Now, applying (4.4) we obtain that $`_{z,n}`$ is the continuous field associated to $`\theta _n`$, where $`\theta _n`$ is the trivial rank $`n`$ vector bundle over $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

We now prove the existence of non isomorphic vector bundles having isomorphic DR-algebras. By Th. 4.6 the C\*-algebra $`𝒪_{}`$ associated to a line bundle $``$ is a continuous field having as fiber the algebra $`C(𝕋)`$ of continuous functions over the circle, so that is itself commutative. We introduce for $`r<0`$ the notation $`^r:=(^{})^r`$. Note that $`(,)=C(𝕋)`$, so that $`(^r,^s)=(\iota ,^{rs})`$ and

$$^0𝒪_{}=\underset{k}{}(\iota ,^k).$$
(4.5)
###### Proposition 4.10.

Let $``$ be a line bundle over a compact Haussdorff space $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

* The spectrum of $`𝒪_{}`$ is the sphere bundle $`_1`$ ;
* $`𝒪_{}𝒪_{^{}}`$

###### Proof.

(1) Let $`(\mathrm{\Omega }_i,\lambda _{ij})Z^1(\mathrm{\Omega },𝕋)`$ be a family of transition functions for $``$. Then the sphere bundle $`_1`$ can be conveniently described by the transition functions $`s(\lambda _{ij})(\omega ,z):=(\omega ,\lambda _{ij}(\omega )z)`$, with $`(\omega ,z)\mathrm{\Omega }_{ij}\times 𝕋`$. Now, note that if $`\psi (\iota ,^k)`$ then we have a local description of $`\psi `$ in terms of continuous functions $`\psi _i:\mathrm{\Omega }_i`$ satisfying the relation

$$\psi _i(\omega )=\lambda _{ij}^k(\omega )\psi _j(\omega ).$$
(4.6)
Let now $`\pi _i:|_{\mathrm{\Omega }_i}\mathrm{\Omega }_i\times `$ be a set of local charts defining the transition functions $`(\mathrm{\Omega }_i,\lambda _{ij})`$. We define continuous functions $`\widehat{\psi }_i:\mathrm{\Omega }_i\times 𝕋`$ by setting $`\widehat{\psi }_i(\omega ,z):=\psi _i(\omega )z^k`$. Now, as by (4.6) the identity $`\widehat{\psi }_is(\lambda _{ij})=\widehat{\psi }_j`$ holds, we find $`\widehat{\psi }_i\pi _i=\widehat{\psi }_j\pi _j`$. We denote by $`\widehat{\psi }`$ the continuous function on $`_1`$ obtained by clutching the maps $`\left\{\widehat{\psi }_i\pi _i\right\}`$. By extending the map $`\psi \widehat{\psi }`$ in the obvious way we obtain an isometric $``$-algebra monomorphism $`{}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{}^{}C(_1)`$. By applying for every local chart the Stone-Weierstrass theorem on the factor $`C(𝕋)`$ in $`C(\mathrm{\Omega }_i\times 𝕋)`$ we find that the extended map $`\widehat{}:𝒪_{}C(_1)`$ is also surjective.

(2) By (4.5) it follows that $`{}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{}^{}=`$ $`{}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{^{}}^{}`$. An alternative way to verify the isomorphism is to observe that complex conjugation on the fibers induces a homeomorphism $`_1_1^{}`$: on each local chart we define $`\alpha _i(\omega ,z):=(\omega ,\overline{z})`$ and the identity

$$s(\lambda _{ij}^{})=\alpha _is(\lambda _{ij})\alpha _j^1$$

holds, so that a global homeomorphism is defined by clutching the maps $`\alpha _i`$. ∎

Of course the previous example is very peculiar, our C\*-algebra $`𝒪_{}`$ being abelian. Further examples relative to vector bundles with rank $`>1`$, relating isomorphism classes of DR-algebras with topological $`K`$-theory, can be given over the $`n`$-spheres. We refer the reader to a work in progress of S. Doplicher, P. Goldstein and the author.

Keeping in mind the basic example of the C\*-algebra of a vector bundle it is easy to obtain a similar description for the cases introduced in Sec. 3. If $`u:G𝐔_n`$ is a unitary representation of a compact group $`G`$ and $``$ is the vector bundle defined by $`e(u,u)^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ then we obtain an action of $`G`$ into the unitary arrows in $`(e,e)`$, so that on each space of intertwiners we have $`\phi _g^{r,k}(t):=g^{^{r+k}}tg^^r,t(e^r,e^{r+k})`$ (here we write $`g`$ for $`u(g)`$). Note that the $`G`$-action commutes with the canonical endomorphism (see Sec. 2), and we have a grading preserving action by automorphisms of $`G`$ on $`𝒪_{}`$. The fixed point algebra $`𝒪_{,u}`$ is generated by the intertwiners $`(e^r,e^{r+k})_G:=\{t(e^r,e^{r+k}):\phi _g^{r,k}(t)=t\}`$ and has the structure of a continuous field of C\*-algebras with fiber C\*-algebras of the type $`𝒪_G`$ defined in .

Similarly in the case of a representation $`(n,u)`$ of a unital Hopf C\*-algebra $`(A,\mathrm{\Delta })`$, by extending to $`𝒪_{}`$ the map (3.6) we obtain the following coaction (see  for a detailed study of similar coactions on Cuntz algebras)

$$\mathrm{\Phi }_u:𝒪_{}𝒪_{}A.$$

As $`𝒪_{}`$ is exact the map above is a morphism of continuous fields of C\*-algebras (see ). We have the fixed point continuous field

$$𝒪_{,u}:=\{t𝒪_{}:\mathrm{\Phi }_u(t)=t1\}.$$

## 5 Non Commutative Extensions.

In this section we discuss the existence of tensor structures on the extension of a given strict tensor C\*-category by a non commutative C\*-algebra. In Sec. 3 we showed that in general these structures fail to exist; thus we have to modify our definition for $`𝒞^A`$, adopting a procedure that is just the abstract version of the left action on a Hilbert C\*-bimodule. Constructions of the type we are going to expose have been considered for the case $`𝒞=\mathrm{𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐛}`$ in , §1.7 and , the second ones in the framework of the algebraic quantum field theory.

We now start our general construction. Let $`𝒞`$ be a C\*-category, $`A`$ a unital C\*-algebra with center $`𝒵`$. We consider endomorphisms

$$\varphi :A(\rho ,\rho )^A,$$
(5.1)
where $`\rho `$ is an object in $`𝒞`$, and call them amplimorphisms. Applying the methods of Sec. 3 we obtain a full subcategory $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ of $`𝒞^A`$, with objects the amplimorphisms $`\varphi `$ and arrows

$$(\varphi ,\psi )_{}:=(\varphi (1),\psi (1)).$$

We also define the not full subcategory $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ having the same objects of $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ and arrows

$$(\varphi ,\psi ):=\{x(\varphi ,\psi )_{}:\psi (a)x=x\varphi (a),aA\}.$$

Note that each object $`e(\rho ,\rho )^𝒵`$ of $`𝒞^𝒵`$ defines an amplimorphism $`\varphi _e(a):=ea1_\rho =a1_\rho e`$. Thus there is the following sequence of immersions of C\*-categories:

$$𝒞^𝒵\stackrel{\varphi _{}}{}\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)\stackrel{i}{}\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)𝒞^A,$$
(5.2)
where the third is a full immersion. Each $`(\varphi ,\psi )`$ has the structure of a Banach $`𝒵`$-bimodule, with coinciding left and right actions $`\psi (a)t=t\varphi (a),t(\varphi ,\psi ),a𝒵`$. The same definition for $`aA`$ provides a structure of Banach $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodule for $`(\varphi ,\psi )_{}`$.

###### Remark 5.1.

Note that we could consider as well endomorphisms of the type $`\phi :A(\rho ,\rho )^B`$, obtaining the corresponding structures of Banach $`A`$-$`B`$-bimodules. We denote the corresponding C\*-category by $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(A,B;𝒞)`$. In particular the categorical analogue of a Kasparov module can be defined as a couple $`(\phi ,F)`$, where $`\phi `$ is an object in $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(A,B;𝒞)`$, $`F`$ belongs to the ideal of ”compact operators” $`𝒦_\phi :=(\iota ,\phi )_{}(\phi ,\iota )_{}(\phi ,\phi )_{}`$ and satisfies the usual properties $`[F,\phi (a)],(F^21)\phi (a),(FF^{})\phi (a)𝒦_\phi `$ for every $`aA`$.

As to be expected, an analogue of Prop. 3.2 holds:

###### Proposition 5.1.

Let $`𝒞`$ be a C\*-category, $`A`$ a unital C\*-algebra. Then

* $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(A,𝒞)`$ has subobjects;
* If $`𝒞`$ have direct sums, so do $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(A,𝒞)`$, $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(A,𝒞)`$.

###### Proof.

(1) Let $`e(\varphi ,\varphi )`$ be a projection. As $`e`$ is in the commutant of $`\varphi (A)`$ the amplimorphism $`a\varphi (a)e`$ is defined, so that $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(A,𝒞)`$ has subobjects.

(2) As $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(A,𝒞)`$ is a subcategory of $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(A,𝒞)`$ it suffices to prove the statement only in this first case. Let now $`\varphi :A(\rho ,\rho )^A`$, $`\psi :A(\sigma ,\sigma )^A`$ be amplimorphism. With the same notations used in the proof of Prop. 3.2 we consider a direct sum $`\tau `$ of $`\rho ,\sigma `$ in $`𝒞`$. Then we define $`v_\varphi :=\varphi (1)1v`$, $`w_\psi :=\psi (1)1w`$ and the map $`\delta (a):=v_\varphi ^{}\varphi (a)v_\varphi +w_\psi ^{}\psi (a)w_\psi `$ from $`A`$ into $`(\tau ,\tau )^A`$. We leave to the reader the verification that $`\delta `$ is an amplimorphism and a direct sum for $`\varphi `$,$`\psi `$. ∎

Let now $`𝒞`$ be a strict tensor C\*-category with identity object $`\iota `$. Our aim is to prove that $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ can be endowed with a natural strict semitensor structure, while $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ becomes a strict tensor C\*-category. In order to better illustrate our construction let us give an example: we consider the category $`\overline{\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}}A`$ having the same objects and arrows as $`\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}A`$ as introduced at the end of Sec. 3, but flipped tensor product $`\rho \sigma :=\sigma \rho `$, $`r\times s:=\sigma ^{}(r)s=s\sigma (r)`$, $`r(\rho ,\rho ^{}),s(\sigma ,\sigma ^{})`$. We embed $`\overline{\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}}A`$ (not fully) in the category $`(A)`$ having the same objects of $`\overline{\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}}A`$ and arrows $`(\rho ,\sigma )_{}:=\{xA:x=\sigma (1)x=x\rho (1)\}`$. Each $`(\rho ,\sigma )_{}`$ is a $`A`$-$`A`$-Hilbert C\*-bimodule with (not commuting) left and right actions given by $`\rho `$ and $`\sigma `$. We have also the following semitensor structure:

$$\{\begin{array}{c}\rho \sigma :=\sigma \rho \hfill \\ \mathrm{\Phi }_\tau (t):=\tau (t)(\rho \tau ,\sigma \tau )_{},t(\rho ,\sigma )_{}\hfill \end{array}$$

By this definition the reason we choose $`\overline{\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}}A`$ instead of $`\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}A`$ is evident. In $`\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}A`$ the map $`\mathrm{\Phi }_\tau `$ would play the role of a left tensoring with an identity arrow, while we need a right tensoring to get a semitensor structure. The objects in $`(A)`$ define naturally Hilbert $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodules $`𝒳_\rho :=(\iota ,\rho )_{}`$ embedded in $`A`$, on which we can define the tensor product

$$𝒳_\rho 𝒴_\sigma :=\{\sigma (x)y:x𝒳_\rho ,y𝒴_\sigma \}(\iota ,\rho \sigma )_{}$$

with $`A`$-valued scalar product $`xy,x^{}y^{}:=y^{}\sigma (x^{}x^{})y^{}`$. As expected, we have an embedding of $`(\rho ,\rho )_{}`$ into the C\*-algebra of right $`A`$-module maps on $`𝒳_\rho 𝒴_\sigma `$ defined by $`t\sigma (t)`$.

We now start the construction of our tensor structures. We have to define a composition law for amplimorphisms; for this purpose we need the universal properties of both the spatial and maximal tensor product, as stated by the following

###### Lemma 5.2.

Let $`\rho `$ be an object of $`𝒞`$ such that the maximal and spatial C\*-norms coincide on $`(\rho ,\rho )_a^A`$. Then for each amplimorphism $`\psi :A(\sigma ,\sigma )^A`$ a morphism $`\psi _{\rho ,\rho }:(\rho ,\rho )^A(\sigma \rho ,\sigma \rho )^A`$ is defined, given by the expression

$$\psi _{\rho ,\rho }(as):=\psi (a)_1\psi (a)_2\times s.$$
(5.3)
###### Proof.

By property of the spatial tensor product we obtain, tensoring the identity on $`A`$ with the right tensor product with $`1_\sigma `$, a morphism

$$i_\rho :(\sigma ,\sigma )^A(\sigma \rho ,\sigma \rho )^A$$

defined by $`i_\rho (as):=as\times 1_\rho `$. By composing with $`\psi `$ we get a morphism

$$i_\rho \psi :A(\sigma \rho ,\sigma \rho )^A$$

the image of which commutes with that of

$$j_{\sigma ,\rho }:(\rho ,\rho )(\sigma \rho ,\sigma \rho )^A$$

defined by $`j_{\sigma ,\rho }(t):=11_\rho \times t`$. Thus, by using the universal property of the maximal tensor product, we define $`\psi _{\rho ,\rho }:=(i_\rho \psi )j_{\sigma ,\rho }`$. ∎

The hypothesis of the previous lemma is satisfied if, for example, $`𝒞`$ has conjugates (see , Lemma 3.2), or $`A`$ is nuclear. In such a case we introduce on the objects of $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ the product

$$\varphi \psi :=\psi _{\rho ,\rho }\varphi $$
(5.4)
with identity the amplimorphism $`\iota _A:A(\iota ,\iota )^A`$ defined by $`\iota _A(a):=a1_\iota `$. We now state some relations in order to define a tensor product on the arrows of $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$. First of all note that the previous lemma implies that the linear map

$$\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}(x):=\psi (x_1)_1\psi (x_1)_2\times x_2(\sigma \rho ,\sigma \rho ^{})^A$$

is well defined as a Banach space map for $`x(\rho ,\rho ^{})^A`$ (note that the notation is consistent with (5.3)). By verifying on the algebraic tensor products and as $`\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}`$ is bounded we obtain, for $`x^{}(\rho ^{},\rho ^{\prime \prime })^A`$

$$\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{\prime \prime }}(x^{}x)=\psi _{\rho ^{},\rho ^{\prime \prime }}(x^{})\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}(x).$$
(5.5)
We also consider for each $`\rho `$ the Banach space map

$$i_\rho (y):=y_1y_2\times 1_\rho (\sigma \rho ,\sigma ^{}\rho )^A$$

with $`y(\sigma ,\sigma ^{})^A`$. Let now $`\varphi ,\varphi ^{},\psi ,\psi ^{}`$ be amplimorphisms with $`x(\rho ,\rho ^{})^A(\varphi ,\varphi ^{})`$, $`y(\sigma ,\sigma ^{})^A(\psi ,\psi ^{})`$. Then for $`t(\rho ,\rho ^{})^A`$ we find, with the same argument of (5.5),

$$i_\rho ^{}(y)\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}(t)=\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}^{}(t)i_\rho (y).$$
(5.6)
So we define

$$x\times y:=\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}^{}(x)i_\rho (y)=i_\rho ^{}(y)\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}(x).$$
(5.7)
###### Proposition 5.3.

Let $`A`$ be a unital C\*-algebra and $`𝒞`$ a strict tensor C\*-category such that for each object $`\rho `$ of $`𝒞`$ the maximal norm on $`(\rho ,\rho )_a^A`$ coincides with the spatial norm. Then, endowed with the tensor product defined in (5.4) and (5.7), $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ is a strict semitensor C\*-category and $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ is a strict tensor C\*-category.

###### Proof.

We verify that $`x\times y(\varphi \psi ,\varphi ^{}\psi ^{})`$; by (5.5),(5.6) we obtain, with $`aA`$,

$$\begin{array}{cc}x\times y\varphi \psi (a)\hfill & =\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}^{}(x)i_\rho (y)\psi _{\rho ,\rho }(\varphi (a))\hfill \\ & =\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}^{}(x)\psi _{\rho ,\rho }^{}(\varphi (a))i_\rho (y)\hfill \\ & =\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}^{}(x\varphi (a))i_\rho (y)\hfill \\ & =\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}^{}(\varphi ^{}(a)x)i_\rho (y)\hfill \\ & =\psi _{\rho ^{},\rho ^{}}^{}(\varphi ^{}(a))\psi _{\rho ,\rho ^{}}^{}(x)i_\rho (y)\hfill \\ & =\psi ^{}\varphi ^{}(a)x\times y.\hfill \end{array}$$

The same computation for $`a=1`$ shows that $`x\times y(\varphi \psi ,\varphi ^{}\psi ^{})_{}`$ if $`x(\varphi ,\varphi ^{})_{}`$, $`y(\psi ,\psi ^{})_{}`$. The other properties of tensor product can be verified by routine computations. ∎

Note that the space of intertwiners of the identity object $`\iota _A`$ is isomorphic to $`(\iota ,\iota )^A`$ in the category $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ and to $`(\iota ,\iota )^𝒵`$ in the category $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$.

###### Example 5.1.

The motivating examples come from the case $`𝒞=\mathrm{𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐛}`$. Then $`𝒞^𝒵`$, $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$, $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$, $`𝒞^A`$ correspond respectively to the categories of vector bundles over the spectrum of $`𝒵`$, Hilbert $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodules with arrows commuting with left and right action ( §1.7), Hilbert $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodules, Hilbert $`A`$-modules. Consider in fact an homomorphism $`\varphi :A𝕄_nA`$. Then we get a projective Hilbert $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodule $`𝒳:=\{xA^^n:\varphi (1)x=x\}`$; $`A`$ acts on $`𝒳`$ on the left by $`a,x\varphi (a)x`$ and on the right by $`x,axa`$. The Hilbert $`𝒵`$-bimodule $`𝒳^\varphi :=\{x𝒳:\varphi (a)x=xa,aA\}`$ is also defined. As expected we have a tensor product in the categories of vector bundles and Hilbert $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodules (choosing the morphisms commuting with the actions), while only a semitensor structure is allowed on Hilbert $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodules, as well known.

###### Example 5.2.

Let $`B`$ be a unital C\*-algebra with trivial center. The objects of $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}B,A)`$ are given by endomorphisms

$$\varphi :A(\rho ,\rho )^AAB$$

where $`\rho `$ is an endomorphism on $`B`$. The identity object in $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}B,A)`$ is the natural immersion $`\iota :A(\iota _B,\iota _B)^AA1_B`$, where $`\iota _B`$ is the identity automorphism on $`B`$; this implies

$$(\iota ,\iota )_{}=(\iota _B,\iota _B)^AA,$$

while

$$(\iota ,\iota )\{x(\iota _B,\iota _B)^A:a1_Bx=a1_Bx,aA\}𝒵.$$

Now for each $`\varphi `$ the following Banach space is naturally defined:

$$𝒳_\varphi :=(\iota ,\varphi )_{}:=\{x(\iota _B,\rho )^A:\varphi (1)x=x\}.$$

$`𝒳_\varphi `$ is a Hilbert $`A`$-module in $`AB`$ with the usual $`A`$-valued scalar product and right multiplication. There is a left action of $`(\varphi ,\varphi )_{}`$ and this implies that a left action $`a,x\varphi (a)x`$ of $`A`$ on $`𝒳_\varphi `$ is defined.

We now state some elementary properties of the DR-algebras associated to objects belonging to the categories appearing in (5.2). We denote by the notation $`𝒪_{\varphi ,}`$ the DR-algebra associated to an amplimorphism $`\varphi `$ as an object of $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$. The following proposition is a categorical version of  Prop. 3.4.

###### Proposition 5.4.

The inclusion functor $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)\stackrel{i}{}\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ induces a monomorphism $`i:𝒪_\varphi 𝒪_{\varphi ,}`$ such that $`i(𝒪_\varphi )A^{}𝒪_{\varphi ,}`$. If for some $`r`$ the space of arrows $`(\iota _A,\varphi ^r)`$ contains an isometry then $`i(𝒪_\varphi )=A^{}𝒪_{\varphi ,}`$.

###### Proof.

The proof follows the same line as in . For reader’s convenience we expose some elementary facts about the first assertion. The embedding of the C\*-algebras follows by funtoriality. Now, $`A`$ is embedded in $`𝒪_{\varphi ,}`$ as the space of arrows of the identity object and if $`t(\varphi ^r,\varphi ^{r+k})`$ the multiplication by $`aA`$ is given by

$$\begin{array}{cc}at\hfill & =a\times \varphi (1)\times \mathrm{}\times \varphi (1)t\hfill \\ & =a\times \varphi ^{r+k}(1)t\hfill \\ & =\varphi ^{r+k}(a)t=t\varphi ^r(a)\hfill \\ & =ta\times \varphi ^r(1)=ta\hfill \end{array}$$

and this proves that arrows between tensor powers of $`\varphi `$ commute with elements of $`A`$. ∎

The following results characterize DR-algebras in $`\mathrm{𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$, $`\mathrm{𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑑}(𝒞,A)`$ coming from ’commutative objects’ belonging to $`𝒞^𝒵`$.

###### Lemma 5.5.

Let $`A`$ be a unital C\*-algebra, $`𝒞`$ a strict tensor C\*-category with identity object $`\iota `$ such that $`(\iota ,\iota )=`$, $`e(\rho ,\rho )^𝒵`$ an object of $`𝒞^𝒵`$ such that $`(\iota ,e)`$ is finitely generated as a right Hilbert $`𝒵`$-module. If $`\varphi _e`$ is the amplimorphism defined by $`e`$, then for $`r+k0`$:

* $`(e^r,e^{r+k})=(\varphi _e^r,\varphi _e^{r+k})`$;
* $`(\varphi _e^r,\varphi _e^{r+k})_{}`$ and $`(e^r,e^{r+k})_𝒵A`$ are isomorphics as Banach $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodules.

###### Proof.

Let $`t(e^r,e^{r+k})`$. By definition of $`\varphi _e`$ it follows that $`t`$ (we write $`t`$ for $`i(t)`$) belongs to $`(\varphi _e^r,\varphi _e^{r+k})`$ if and only if commutes with $`aA`$; but

$$\begin{array}{cc}at\hfill & =a\times e^{r+k}t\hfill \\ & =a(e^{r+k})_1t_1(e^{r+k})_2t_2\hfill \\ & =at_1t_2=t_1at_2\hfill \\ & =ta.\hfill \end{array}$$

Let now $`t(\varphi _e^r,\varphi _e^{r+k})`$; as $`(\iota ,e)`$ is finitely generated there exists a finite set $`\left\{\psi _i\right\}(\iota ,e)`$ such that $`e=_i\psi _i\psi _i^{}`$ and this implies that each $`(\iota ,e^r)`$ is finitely generated by elements of the type $`\psi _I:=\psi _{i_1}\mathrm{}\psi _{i_r}`$. Now we have seen that $`(\iota ,e^r)(\iota ,\varphi _e^r)`$ so that $`t_{IJ}:=\psi _I^{}t\psi _J(\iota ,\iota )𝒵`$ and $`t=e^{r+k}t=te^r=_{IJ}t_{IJ}\psi _I\psi _J^{}`$ belongs to $`(e^r,e^{r+k})`$. For the second point, we define the map from $`(e^r,e^{r+k})_𝒵A`$ into $`(\varphi _e^r,\varphi _e^{r+k})_{}`$ by $`ta:=at`$. As $`(at)^{}a^{}t^{}=(a^{}a^{})(t^{}t^{})`$ the map is injective, and by the argument of (1) if $`x(\varphi _e^r,\varphi _e^{r+k})_{}`$ we get a decomposition $`x=_{IJ}x_{IJ}\psi _I\psi _J^{}`$, $`x_{IJ}A`$, so we have the surjectivity. ∎

###### Corollary 5.6.

With the hypothesis of the previous lemma, there is an isomorphism of C\*-dynamical systems $`(𝒪_e,\sigma _e)(𝒪_{\varphi _e},\sigma _{\varphi _e})`$.

We apply the previous results to Hilbert C\*-bimodules. Let $`𝒳`$ be the Hilbert C\*-bimodule defined by the amplimorphism $`\varphi :AA𝕄_n`$ as in Example 5.1. By using the notations of  and referring to example 5.1, we get an isomorphism $`𝒪_{\varphi ,}𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$, where $`𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$ is the Pimsner C\*-algebra associated to $`𝒳`$, while $`𝒪_\varphi 𝒪_{{}_{A}{}^{}𝒳_{A}^{}}`$, where $`𝒪_{{}_{A}{}^{}𝒳_{A}^{}}`$ is the subalgebra of $`𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$ generated by the arrows for which left and right actions of $`A`$ coincide. We denote by $`(𝒳^r,𝒳^{r+k})`$ the spaces of right $`A`$-module maps from $`𝒳^r`$ into $`𝒳^{r+k}`$, that are the arrows generating $`𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$. As we stated in the general case, there is an embedding $`𝒪_{{}_{A}{}^{}𝒳_{A}^{}}𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$ such that $`𝒪_{{}_{A}{}^{}𝒳_{A}^{}}A^{}𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$. We say that $`A`$ is normal in $`𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$ if $`A=(A^{}𝒪_{𝒳_A})^{}𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$ . Let now $`\sigma _𝒳`$ be the canonical endomorphism defined on $`𝒪_{{}_{A}{}^{}𝒳_{A}^{}}`$. We say that $`\sigma _𝒳`$ is inner if $`𝒳^\varphi :=𝒳𝒪_{{}_{A}{}^{}𝒳_{A}^{}}`$ is finitely generated as Hilbert $`𝒵`$-module and with support $`1`$ in $`𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$.

###### Proposition 5.7.

Let $`𝒳`$ be a Hilbert $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodule defined by an amplimorphism $`\varphi :A𝕄_nA`$, $`A`$ normal in $`𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$. Then the following are equivalent:

* There exists a vector bundle $``$ over the spectrum of $`𝒵`$ with module of section isomorphic to $`𝒳^\varphi `$ and $`𝒳𝒳^\varphi _𝒵A`$;
* $`\sigma _𝒳`$ is inner;
* $`(𝒪_{},\sigma _{})(𝒪_{{}_{A}{}^{}𝒳_{A}^{}},\sigma _𝒳)`$ and $`𝒪_{𝒳_A}𝒪_{}_𝒵A`$

###### Proof.

As $`𝒳^\varphi `$ is finitely generated it is isomorphic to a projective Hilbert $`𝒵`$-module, hence isomorphic to the module of sections of a vector bundle $``$. Now $`\sigma _𝒳`$ is inner if and only if the injective $`A`$-module map $`\psi a:=\psi a`$ from $`𝒳^\varphi _𝒵A`$ to $`𝒳`$ is surjective, so that the definition of the left action $`\varphi `$ is forced by $`\varphi (a^{})(\psi a):=\psi a^{}a`$. The equivalence with the third statement is consequence of Lemma 5.5 and Corollary 5.6 applied to the projection $`e𝕄_n𝒵`$ defined by $`𝒳^\varphi `$: we obtain in this way the isomorphism $`(𝒪_{},\sigma _{})(𝒪_{{}_{A}{}^{}𝒳_{A}^{}},\sigma _𝒳)`$, and a family of compatible Banach $`A`$-$`A`$-bimodule isomorphisms $`(𝒳^r,𝒳^{r+k})(^r,^{r+k})_𝒵A`$. This implies the isomorphism between the algebraic tensor product $`{}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{}^{}_𝒵A`$ and $`{}_{}{}^{0}𝒪_{𝒳_A}^{}`$. Now observe that by nuclearity of $`𝒪_{}`$ there is a unique C\*-norm defining the tensor product $`𝒪_{}_𝒵A`$ (in the sense of , see also ), that coincides with the norm on $`𝒪_{𝒳_A}`$ for which the circle action is isometric. ∎

Let $``$ be a vector bundle over a compact Haussdorff space $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. We endow $`𝒪_{}^1`$ with a structure of a Hilbert $`𝒪_{}^0`$-$`𝒪_{}^0`$-bimodule by defining the right action $`\psi x:=\psi x`$ and left action $`x\psi :=\sigma _{}(x)\psi `$, where $`x𝒪_{}^0`$, $`\psi 𝒪_{}^1`$ and $`\sigma _{}`$ is the canonical endomorphism on $`𝒪_{}`$. Note that $`𝒪_{}^1`$ is generated by $`(\iota ,)`$, on which left and right actions coincide. The previous proposition then implies (see  for an anologue result):

###### Corollary 5.8.

Let $``$ be a vector bundle over a compact Haussdorff space $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Then

* $`𝒪_{}^1(\iota ,)_{C(\mathrm{\Omega })}𝒪_{}^0`$
* $`𝒪_{𝒪_{}^1}`$$`𝒪_{}_{C(\mathrm{\Omega })}𝒪_{}^0.`$

## 6 Final Remarks.

This paper does not claim to be exhaustive. There are several interesting open questions that are the subject of the previously quoted work in progress between S. Doplicher, P. Goldstein and the author, first of all the geometrical characterization of the class of vector bundles having isomorphic DR-algebras. Another open question is the computation of the $`K`$-theory of such C\*-algebras; note that for DR-algebras  a Pimsner-Voiculescu exact sequence holds, so the first step should be the computation of the $`K`$-theory of the zero grade algebra, that is an inductive limit of continuous fields of matrix algebras.

The notion of extension can be used to introduce $`K`$-type functors. Given in fact a C\*-category $`𝒞`$ with direct sums and a C\*-algebra $`A`$ we can consider the set of unitary equivalence classes of objects in $`𝒞^A`$; we endowe it with the operation of direct sum (that is defined on $`𝒞^A`$ by Prop. 3.2) and introduce the associated Grothendieck group $`K_𝒞(A)`$, that coincides with the usual $`K`$-theory of $`A`$ in the case $`𝒞=\mathrm{𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐛}`$. Properties as funtoriality, homotopic invariance and additivity can be easily verified. We defer to a future work the analysis of the other homology properties (continuity, half exactness), as well as the study of interesting cases (as the closure for direct sums of $`𝒞=\mathrm{𝐞𝐧𝐝}B`$ in Example 3.4) .

A further interesting point is the extension of Doplicher-Roberts duality for compact groups to categories with not trivial space of intertwiners of the identity object. An important step in the theory is the crossed product of a C\*-algebra by an endomorphism satisfying certain properties (namely permutation simmetry and special conjugate property, see ); in that case the C\*-algebra has trivial center and the endomorphism is implemented by a Hilbert space in the cross product, while in the cases discussed here (for example the C\*-algebra of a vector bundle) the canonical endomorphism is implemented by a finitely generated module over the center. The construction of such a generalized crossed product of a C\*-algebra with not trivial center by an endomorphism should give the first step towards an extension of Doplicher-Roberts duality in the sense stated above. Some work in this direction has been done in , in the setting of Hilbert C\*-systems. In this context free right modules over the center of the given C\*-algebra appear, but the example of the C\*-algebra of a vector bundle shows that more general objects can be considered, as the (not free) modules of sections of vector bundles.

Acknowledgments. I’m very grateful to Professor S. Doplicher for having proposed the initial idea and for helpful suggestions and comments, and indebted to F. Lledó, G. Ruzzi, M. Gabriel for valuable discussions, interesting remarks and precious help.