Let be a single vertex k-graph and let be the von Neumann algebra induced from the Gelfand–Naimark–Segal (GNS) representation of a distinguished state ω of its k-graph C*-algebra . In this paper we prove the factoriality of , and furthermore determine its type when either has the little pullback property, or the intrinsic group of has rank 0. The key step to achieving this is to show that the fixed-point algebra of the modular action corresponding to ω has a unique tracial state.

We investigate topological realizations of higher-rank graphs. We show that the fundamental group of a higher-rank graph coincides with the fundamental group of its topological realization. We also show that topological realization of higher-rank graphs is a functor and that for each higher-rank graph Λ, this functor determines a category equivalence between the category of coverings of Λ and the category of coverings of its topological realization. We discuss how topological realization relates to two standard constructions for k-graphs: projective limits and crossed products by finitely generated free abelian groups.

Let $P$ be a finitely generated cancellative abelian monoid. A $P$-graph ${\rm\Lambda}$ is a natural generalization of a $k$-graph. A pullback of ${\rm\Lambda}$ is constructed by pulling it back over a given monoid morphism to $P$, while a pushout of ${\rm\Lambda}$ is obtained by modding out its periodicity, which is deduced from a natural equivalence relation on ${\rm\Lambda}$. One of our main results in this paper shows that, for some $k$-graphs ${\rm\Lambda}$, ${\rm\Lambda}$ is isomorphic to the pullback of its pushout via a natural quotient map, and that its graph $\text{C}^{\ast }$-algebra can be embedded into the tensor product of the graph $\text{C}^{\ast }$-algebra of its pushout and $\text{C}^{\ast }(\text{Per}\,{\rm\Lambda})$. As a consequence, in this case, the cycline algebra generated by the standard generators corresponding to equivalent pairs is a maximal abelian subalgebra, and there is a faithful conditional expectation from the graph $\text{C}^{\ast }$-algebra onto it.

Consider a projective limit G of finite groups Gn. Fix a compatible family δn of coactions of the Gn on a C*-algebra A. From this data we obtain a coaction δ of G on A. We show that the coaction crossed product of A by δ is isomorphic to a direct limit of the coaction crossed products of A by the δn. If A=C*(Λ) for some k-graph Λ, and if the coactions δn correspond to skew-products of Λ, then we can say more. We prove that the coaction crossed product of C*(Λ) by δ may be realized as a full corner of the C*-algebra of a (k+1)-graph. We then explore connections with Yeend’s topological higher-rank graphs and their C*-algebras.