Stable rank for inclusions of C*-algebras

Abstract

When a unital \ca $A$ has topological stable rank one (write $\tsr(A) = 1$), we know that $\tsr(pAp) \leq 1$ for a non-zero projection $p\in A$. When, however, $\tsr(A) \geq 2$, it is generally faluse. We prove that if a unital C*-algebra $A$ has a simple unital C*-subalgebra $D$ of $A$ with common unit such that $D$ has \PSP and $\sup_{p\in P(D)}\tsr(pAp) < \infty$, then $\tsr(A) \leq 2.$ As an application let $A$ be a simple unital \ca with $\tsr(A) = 1$ and \PSP, $\{G_k{\}}_{k=1}^n$ finite groups, $\af_k$ actions from $G_k$ to ${\rm Aut}((...((A\times_{\af_1}G_1)\times_{\af_2} G_2)...)\times_{\af_{k-1}}G_{k-1}).$ $(G_0=\{1\})$ Then $$ \tsr((... ((A\times_{\af_1}G_1)\times_{\af_2} G_2)...)\times_{\af_n}G_n) \leq 2. $$

9 pages