Operator algebras for higher rank analysis and their application to factorial languages

We study strong compactly aligned product systems of ℤ₊^N over a C*-algebra A. We provide a description of their Cuntz-Nica-Pimsner algebra in terms of tractable relations coming from ideals of A. This approach encompasses product systems where the left action is given by compacts, as well as a wide class of higher rank graphs (beyond row-finite). Moreover we analyze higher rank factorial languages and their C*-algebras. Many of the rank one results in the literature find here their higher rank analogues. In particular, we show that the Cuntz-Nica-Pimsner algebra of a higher rank sofic language coincides with the Cuntz-Krieger algebra of its unlabeled follower set higher rank graph. However, there are also differences. For example, the Cuntz-Nica-Pimsner can lie in-between the first quantization and its quotient by the compactly supported operators.