{"paper":{"title":"On the C*-algebraic approach to topological phases for insulators","license":"http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/","headline":"","cross_cats":["cond-mat.mes-hall","math-ph","math.MP"],"primary_cat":"math.KT","authors_text":"Johannes Kellendonk","submitted_at":"2015-09-21T15:27:15Z","abstract_excerpt":"The notion of a topological phase of an insulator is based on the concept of homotopy between Hamiltonians. It therefore depends on the choice of a topological space to which the Hamiltonians belong. We advocate that this space should be the $C^*$-algebra of observables. We relate the symmetries of insulators to graded real structures on the observable algebra and classify the topological phases using van Daele's formulation of $K$-theory. This is related but not identical to Thiang's recent approach to classify topological phases by $K$-groups in Karoubi's formulation."},"claims":{"count":0,"items":[],"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"source":{"id":"1509.06271","kind":"arxiv","version":4},"verdict":{"id":null,"model_set":{},"created_at":null,"strongest_claim":"","one_line_summary":"","pipeline_version":null,"weakest_assumption":"","pith_extraction_headline":""},"references":{"count":0,"sample":[],"resolved_work":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}