Rigidity theory for $C^*$-dynamical systems and the "Pedersen Rigidity Problem"

Abstract: Let $G$ be a locally compact abelian group. By modifying a theorem of Pedersen, it follows that actions of $G$ on $C^*$-algebras $A$ and $B$ are outer conjugate if and only if there is an isomorphism of the crossed products that is equivariant for the dual actions and preserves the images of $A$ and $B$ in the multiplier algebras of the crossed products. The rigidity problem discussed in this paper deals with the necessity of the last condition concerning the images of $A$ and $B$. There is an alternative formulation of the problem: an action of the dual group $\hat G$ together with a suitably equivariant unitary homomorphism of $G$ give rise to a generalized fixed-point algebra via Landstad's theorem, and a problem related to the above is to produce an action of $\hat G$ and two such equivariant unitary homomorphisms of $G$ that give distinct generalized fixed-point algebras. We present several situations where the condition on the images of $A$ and $B$ is redundant, and where having distinct generalized fixed-point algebras is impossible. For example, if $G$ is discrete, this will be the case for all actions of $G$.