This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the general theory of C*-algebras and von Neumann algebras. Beginning with the basics, the theory is developed through such topics as tensor products, nuclearity and exactness, crossed products, K-theory, and quasidiagonality. The presentation carefully and precisely explains the main features of each part of the theory of operator algebras; most important arguments are at least outlined and many are presented in full detail.

Mathematics for infinite dimensional objects is becoming more and more important today both in theory and application. Rings of operators, renamed von Neumann algebras by J. Dixmier, were first introduced by J. von Neumann fifty years ago, 1929, in [254] with his grand aim of giving a sound founda tion to mathematical sciences of infinite nature. J. von Neumann and his collaborator F. J. Murray laid down the foundation for this new field of mathematics, operator algebras, in a series of papers, [240], [241], [242], [257] and [259], during the period of the 1930s and early in the 1940s. In the introduction to this series of investigations, they stated Their solution 1 {to the problems of understanding rings of operators) seems to be essential for the further advance of abstract operator theory in Hilbert space under several aspects. First, the formal calculus with operator-rings leads to them. Second, our attempts to generalize the theory of unitary group-representations essentially beyond their classical frame have always been blocked by the unsolved questions connected with these problems. Third, various aspects of the quantum mechanical formalism suggest strongly the elucidation of this subject. Fourth, the knowledge obtained in these investigations gives an approach to a class of abstract algebras without a finite basis, which seems to differ essentially from all types hitherto investigated. Since then there has appeared a large volume of literature, and a great deal of progress has been achieved by many mathematicians.

This book constitutes a first- or second-year graduate course in operator theory. It is a field that has great importance for other areas of mathematics and physics, such as algebraic topology, differential geometry, and quantum mechanics. It assumes a basic knowledge in functional analysis but no prior acquaintance with operator theory is required.

An Introduction to Operator Algebras is a concise text/reference that focuses on the fundamental results in operator algebras. Results discussed include Gelfand's representation of commutative C*-algebras, the GNS construction, the spectral theorem, polar decomposition, von Neumann's double commutant theorem, Kaplansky's density theorem, the (continuous, Borel, and L8) functional calculus for normal operators, and type decomposition for von Neumann algebras. Exercises are provided after each chapter.

* Introduces the fundamental theory of vertex operator algebras and its basic techniques and examples. * Begins with a detailed presentation of the theoretical foundations and proceeds to a range of applications. * Includes a number of new, original results and brings fresh perspective to important works of many other researchers in algebra, lie theory, representation theory, string theory, quantum field theory, and other areas of math and physics.

K -Theory has revolutionized the study of operator algebras in the last few years. As the primary component of the subject of "noncommutative topol ogy," K -theory has opened vast new vistas within the structure theory of C* algebras, as well as leading to profound and unexpected applications of opera tor algebras to problems in geometry and topology. As a result, many topolo gists and operator algebraists have feverishly begun trying to learn each others' subjects, and it appears certain that these two branches of mathematics have become deeply and permanently intertwined. Despite the fact that the whole subject is only about a decade old, operator K -theory has now reached a state of relative stability. While there will undoubtedly be many more revolutionary developments and applications in the future, it appears the basic theory has more or less reached a "final form." But because of the newness of the theory, there has so far been no comprehensive treatment of the subject. It is the ambitious goal of these notes to fill this gap. We will develop the K -theory of Banach algebras, the theory of extensions of C*-algebras, and the operator K -theory of Kasparov from scratch to its most advanced aspects. We will not treat applications in detail; however, we will outline the most striking of the applications to date in a section at the end, as well as mentioning others at suitable points in the text.

This work is motivated by and develops connections between several branches of mathematics and physics--the theories of Lie algebras, finite groups and modular functions in mathematics, and string theory in physics. The first part of the book presents a new mathematical theory of vertex operator algebras, the algebraic counterpart of two-dimensional holomorphic conformal quantum field theory. The remaining part constructs the Monster finite simple group as the automorphism group of a very special vertex operator algebra, called the "moonshine module" because of its relevance to "monstrous moonshine."