Directed graph algebras have long been studied as tractable examples of C*-algebras, but they are limited by their inability to have torsion in their K_1 group. Graphs of groups, which are famed in geometric group theory because of their intimate connection with group actions on trees, are a more recent addition to the C*-algebra scene. In this talk, I will introduce the child of these two concepts – directed graphs of groups – and describe how their algebras inherit the best properties of its parents’, with a view to outlining how we can use these algebras to model a class of C*-algebras (stable UCT Kirchberg algebras) which is classified completely by K-theory.

Roe algebras were introduced in the late 1990's in the study of indices of elliptic operators on (locally compact) Riemannian manifolds. Roe was particularly interested in coarse equivalences of metric spaces, which is a weaker notion than that of quasi-isometry. In fact, soon thereafter it was realized that the isomorphism class of these class of C*-algebras did not depend on the coarse equivalence class of the manifold. The converse, that is, whether this class is a complete invariant, became known as the 'Rigidity Problem for Roe algebras'. In this talk we will discuss an affirmative answer to this question, and how to approach its proof. This is based on joint work with Federico Vigolo.