We consider the sequence of powers of a positive definite function on a discrete group. Taking inspiration from random walks on compact quantum groups, we give several examples of situations where a cut-off phenomenon occurs for this sequence, including free groups and infinite Coxeter groups. We also give examples of absence of cut-off using free groups again.

Let G be a locally compact group and H an open subgroup of G. The embeddings of group C*-algebras associated with H into the group C*-algebras associated with G are studied. Three conditions for the embeddings given in terms of C*-norms of the group algebras, group representations and positive definite functions are shown to be equivalent. As corollary, we prove that the full C*-algebra of H can be embedded into the full C*-algebra of G in a natural way as well as the case for the reduced group C*-algebras. We also show that the embeddings hold for their duals and double duals.

In this note, we have shown that the set of conditions given by Gel'fand and Vilenkin for the positive definiteness of a functional L(ϕ) [1, Theorem 7, p. 285] though sufficient is not necessary, thereby providing an answer to an open problem posed by them [1, Theorem 7, p. 285].