The proofs of Theorem 2.2 of K. J. Dykema and M. Rørdam, Purely infinite simple $C^*$-algebras arising from free product constructions}, Canad. J. Math. 50 (1998), 323--341 and of Theorem 3.1 of K. J. Dykema, Purely infinite simple $C^*$-algebras arising from free product constructions, II, Math. Scand. 90 (2002), 73--86 are corrected.

In this paper we analyze states on C*-algebras and their relationship to filter-like structures of projections and positive elements in the unit ball. After developing the basic theory we use this to investigate the Kadison-Singer conjecture, proving its equivalence to an apparently quite weak paving conjecture and the existence of unique maximal centred extensions of projections coming from ultrafilters on the natural numbers. We then prove that Reid's positive answer to this for q-points in fact also holds for rapid p-points, and that maximal centred filters are obtained in this case. We then show that consistently such maximal centred filters do not exist at all meaning that, for every pure state on the Calkin algebra, there exists a pair of projections on which the state is 1, even though the state is bounded strictly below 1 for projections below this pair. Lastly we investigate towers, using cardinal invariant equalities to construct towers on the natural numbers that do and do not remain towers when canonically embedded into the Calkin algebra. Finally we show that consistently all towers on the natural numbers remain towers under this embedding.

For a dense $G_\delta$ set of real parameters $\theta$ in $[0,1]$ (containing the rationals) it is shown that the group $K_0 (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4)$ is isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}^9$, where $A_\theta$ is the rotation C*-algebra generated by unitaries $U$, $V$ satisfying $VU = e^{2\pi i\theta} UV$ and $\sigma$ is the Fourier automorphism of $A_\theta$ defined by $\sigma(U) = V$, $\sigma(V) = U^{-1}$. More precisely, an explicit basis for $K_0$ consisting of nine canonical modules is given. (A slight generalization of this result is also obtained for certain separable continuous fields of unital C*-algebras over $[0,1]$.) The Connes Chern character $\ch \colon K_0 (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4) \to H^{\ev} (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4)^*$ is shown to be injective for a dense $G_\delta$ set of parameters $\theta$. The main computational tool in this paper is a group homomorphism $\vtr \colon K_0 (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4) \to \mathbb{R}^8 \times \mathbb{Z}$ obtained from the Connes Chern character by restricting the functionals in its codomain to a certain nine-dimensional subspace of $H^{\ev} (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4)$. The range of $\vtr$ is fully determined for each $\theta$. (We conjecture that this subspace is all of $H^{\ev}$.)