Metric groups, unitary representations and continuous logic

We describe how properties of metric groups and of unitary representations of metric groups can be presented in continuous logic. In particular we find Lω 1 ω -axiomatization of amenability. We also show that in the case of locally compact groups some uniform version of the negation of Kazhdan’s property (T) can be viewed as a union of first-order axiomatizable classes. We will see when these properties are preserved under taking elementary substructures.

Groups with infinite FC-center have the Schmidt property

We show that every countable group with infinite finite conjugacy (FC)-center has the Schmidt property, that is, admits a free, ergodic, measure-preserving action on a standard probability space such that the full group of the associated orbit equivalence relation contains a non-trivial central sequence. As a consequence, every countable, inner amenable group with property (T) has the Schmidt property.