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It is proved that the Wiener algebra of functions on a connected compact abelian group whose BohrFourier spectra are contained in a fixed subsemigroup of the (additive) dual group, is projective free. The semigroup is assumed to contain zero and have the property that it does not contain both a nonzero element and its opposite. The projective free property is proved also for the algebra of continuous functions with the same condition on their Bohr-Fourier spectra. As an application, the connected components of the set of factorable matrices are described. The proofs are based on a key result on homotopies of continuous maps on the maximal ideal spaces of the algebras under consideration.

It is proved that for certain algebras of continuous functions on compact abelian groups, the set of factorable matrix functions with entries in the algebra is not dense in the group of invertible matrix functions with entries in the algebra, assuming that the dual abelian group contains a subgroup isomorphic to Z 3 . These algebras include the algebra of all continuous functions and the Wiener algebra. More precisely, it is shown that infinitely many connected components of the group of invertible matrix functions do not contain any factorable matrix functions, again under the same assumption. Moreover, these components actually are disjoint with the subgroup generated by the triangularizable matrix functions.

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