Let $G$ be a locally compact group. Let $A_{M}(G)$ ($A_{0}(G)$)denote the closure of $A(G)$, the Fourier algebra of $G$ in the space of bounded (completely bounded) multipliers of $A(G)$. We call a locally compact group M-weakly amenable if $A_M(G)$ has a bounded approximate identity. We will show that when $G$ is M-weakly amenable, the algebras $A_{M}(G)$ and $A_{0}(G)$ have properties that are characteristic of the Fourier algebra of an amenable group. Along the way we show that the sets of tolopolically invariant means associated with these algebras have the same cardinality as those of the Fourier algebra.

We show that the multiplier algebra of the Fourier algebra on a locally compact group $G$ can be isometrically represented on a direct sum on non-commutative $L^p$ spaces associated with the right von Neumann algebra of $G$. The resulting image is the idealiser of the image of the Fourier algebra. If these spaces are given their canonical operator space structure, then we get a completely isometric representation of the completely bounded multiplier algebra. We make a careful study of the non-commutative $L^p$ spaces we construct and show that they are completely isometric to those considered recently by Forrest, Lee, and Samei. We improve a result of theirs about module homomorphisms. We suggest a definition of a Figa-Talamanca-Herz algebra built out of these non-commutative $L^p$ spaces, say $A_p(\widehat G)$. It is shown that $A_2(\widehat G)$ is isometric to $L^1(G)$, generalising the abelian situation.

Let $A_p(G)$ be the Figa-Talamanca, Herz Banach Algebra on $G$; thus $A_2(G)$ is the Fourier algebra. Strong Ditkin (SD) and Extremely Strong Ditkin (ESD) sets for the Banach algebras $A_p^r(G)$ are investigated for abelian and nonabelian locally compact groups $G$. It is shown that SD and ESD sets for $A_p(G)$ remain SD and ESD sets for $A_p^r(G)$, with strict inclusion for ESD sets. The case for the strict inclusion of SD sets is left open. A result on the weak sequential completeness of $A_2(F)$ for ESD sets $F$ is proved and used to show that Varopoulos, Helson, and Sidon sets are not ESD sets for $A_2(G)$, yet they are such for $A_2^r(G)$ for discrete groups $G$, for any $1\le r\le 2$. A result is given on the equivalence of the sequential and the net definitions of SD or ESD sets for $\sigma$-compact groups. The above results are new even if $G$ is abelian.

Let $\mathcal{A}$ be a Banach algebra with a bounded right approximate identity and let $\mathcal B$ be a closed ideal of $\mathcal A$. We study the relationship between the right identities of the double duals ${\mathcal B}^{**}$ and ${\mathcal A}^{**}$ under the Arens product. We show that every right identity of ${\mathcal B}^{**}$ can be extended to a right identity of ${\mathcal A}^{**}$ in some sense. As a consequence, we answer a question of Lau and \"Ulger, showing that for the Fourier algebra $A(G)$ of a locally compact group $G$, an element $\phi \in A(G)^{**}$ is in $A(G)$ if and only if $A(G) \phi \subseteq A(G)$ and $E \phi = \phi $ for all right identities $E $ of $A(G)^{**}$. We also prove some results about the topological centers of ${\mathcal B}^{**}$ and ${\mathcal A}^{**}$.

Let $G$ be a locally compact group, and let $A_{\cb}(G)$ denote the closure of $A(G)$, the Fourier algebra of $G$, in the space of completely bounded multipliers of $A(G)$. If $G$ is a weakly amenable, discrete group such that $\cstar(G)$ is residually finite-dimensional, we show that $A_{\cb}(G)$ is operator amenable. In particular, $A_{\cb}(\free_2)$ is operator amenable even though $\free_2$, the free group in two generators, is not an amenable group. Moreover, we show that if $G$ is a discrete group such that $A_{\cb}(G)$ is operator amenable, a closed ideal of $A(G)$ is weakly completely complemented in $A(G)$ if and only if it has an approximate identity bounded in the $\cb$-multiplier norm.

The decomposability number of a von Neumann algebra $\m$ (denoted by $\dec(\m)$) is the greatest cardinality of a family of pairwise orthogonal non-zero projections in $\m$. In this paper, we explore the close connection between $\dec(\m)$ and the cardinal level of the Mazur property for the predual $\m_*$ of $\m$, the study of which was initiated by the second author. Here, our main focus is on those von Neumann algebras whose preduals constitute such important Banach algebras on a locally compact group $G$ as the group algebra $\lone$, the Fourier algebra $A(G)$, the measure algebra $M(G)$, the algebra $\luc^*$, etc. We show that for any of these von Neumann algebras, say $\m$, the cardinal number $\dec(\m)$ and a certain cardinal level of the Mazur property of $\m_*$ are completely encoded in the underlying group structure. In fact, they can be expressed precisely by two dual cardinal invariants of $G$: the compact covering number $\kg$ of $G$ and the least cardinality $\bg$ of an open basis at the identity of $G$. We also present an application of the Mazur property of higher level to the topological centre problem for the Banach algebra $\ag^{**}$.

We introduce and investigate using Hilbert modules the properties of the {\em Fourier algebra} $A(G)$ for a locally compact groupoid $G$. We establish a duality theorem for such groupoids in terms of multiplicative module maps. This includes as a special case the classical duality theorem for locally compact groups proved by P. Eymard.

In this paper, we investigate projectivity in the category of operator spaces. In particular, we show that the Fourier algebra of a locally compact group $G$ is operator biprojective if and only if $G$ is discrete.