The ideal structure of measure algebras and asymptotic properties of group representations

Abstract: We classify the weak*-closed maximal left ideals of the measure algebra $M(G)$ for certain Hermitian locally compact groups $G$ in terms of the irreducible representations of $G$ and their asymptotic properties. In particular, we obtain a classification for connected nilpotent Lie groups, and the Euclidean rigid motion groups. We also prove a version of this result for certain weighted measure algebras. We apply our classification to obtain an analogue of Barnes' Theorem on integrable representations for representations vanishing at infinity. We next study the relationship between weak*-closedness and finite generation, proving that in many cases $M(G)$ has no finitely-generated maximal left ideals. We also show that the measure algebra of the 2D Euclidean rigid motion group has a weak*-closed maximal left ideal that is not generated by a projection, and investigate whether or not it has any weak*-closed left ideals which are not finitely-generated.