Groupoid algebras as Cuntz-Pimsner algebras

Abstract

We show that if $G$ is a second countable locally compact Hausdorff étale groupoid carrying a suitable cocycle $c:G\to\mathbb{Z}$, then the reduced $C^*$-algebra of $G$ can be realised naturally as the Cuntz-Pimsner algebra of a correspondence over the reduced $C^*$-algebra of the kernel $G_0$ of $c$. If the full and reduced $C^*$-algebras of $G_0$ coincide, we deduce that the full and reduced $C^*$-algebras of $G$ coincide. We obtain a six-term exact sequence describing the $K$-theory of $C^*_r(G)$ in terms of that of $C^*_r(G_0)$.

5 pages. V2: James Fletcher discovered an error Lemma 9. No other results are affected. In this version, statements (2) and (3), and the proof, of Lemma 9 have been corrected. Remark 10 has been added to give details of the error. An erratum will appear in Math Scand, referring to this version of the arXiv posting for details