Von Neumann Algebras

The purpose of these notes is to provide a rapid introduction to von Neumann
algebras which gets to the examples and active topics with a minimum of
technical baggage. In this sense it is opposite in spirit from the treatises of
Dixmier [], Takesaki[], Pedersen[], Kadison-Ringrose[], Stratila-Zsido[]. The
philosophy is to lavish attention on a few key results and examples, and we
prefer to make simplifying assumptions rather than go for the most general
case. Thus we do not hesitate to give several proofs of a single result, or repeat
an argument with different hypotheses. The notes are built around semester-
long courses given at UC Berkeley though they contain more material than
could be taught in a single semester.
The notes are informal and the exercises are an integral part of the ex-
position. These exercises are vital and mostly intended to be easy.