For a Lie group $G$, we show that the map $C^\infty_c(G)\times C^\infty_c(G)\to C^\infty_c(G)$, $(\gamma,\eta)\mapsto \gamma*\eta$ taking a pair of test functions to their convolution is continuous if and only if $G$ is $\sigma$-compact. More generally, consider $r,s,t \in \mathbb{N}_0\cup\{\infty\}$ with $t\leq r+s$, locally convex spaces $E_1$, $E_2$ and a continuous bilinear map $b\colon E_1\times E_2\to F$ to a complete locally convex space $F$. Let $\beta\colon C^r_c(G,E_1)\times C^s_c(G,E_2)\to C^t_c(G,F)$, $(\gamma,\eta)\mapsto \gamma *_b\eta$ be the associated convolution map. The main result is a characterization of those $(G,r,s,t,b)$ for which $\beta$ is continuous. Convolution of compactly supported continuous functions on a locally compact group is also discussed, as well as convolution of compactly supported $L^1$-functions and convolution of compactly supported Radon measures.

We study locally compact quantum groups $\mathbb{G}$ through the convolution algebras $L_1(\mathbb{G})$ and $(T(L_2(\mathbb{G})), \triangleright)$. We prove that the reduced quantum group $C^*$-algebra $C_0(\mathbb{G})$ can be recovered from the convolution $\triangleright$ by showing that the right $T(L_2(\mathbb{G}))$-module $\langle K(L_2(\mathbb{G}) \triangleright T(L_2(\mathbb{G}))\rangle$ is equal to $C_0(\mathbb{G})$. On the other hand, we show that the left $T(L_2(\mathbb{G}))$-module $\langle T(L_2(\mathbb{G}))\triangleright K(L_2(\mathbb{G})\rangle$ is isomorphic to the reduced crossed product $C_0(\widehat{\mathbb{G}}) \,_r\!\ltimes C_0(\mathbb{G})$, and hence is a much larger $C^*$-subalgebra of $B(L_2(\mathbb{G}))$. We establish a natural isomorphism between the completely bounded right multiplier algebras of $L_1(\mathbb{G})$ and $(T(L_2(\mathbb{G})), \triangleright)$, and settle two invariance problems associated with the representation theorem of Junge-Neufang-Ruan (2009). We characterize regularity and discreteness of the quantum group $\mathbb{G}$ in terms of continuity properties of the convolution $\triangleright$ on $T(L_2(\mathbb{G}))$. We prove that if $\mathbb{G}$ is semi-regular, then the space $\langle T(L_2(\mathbb{G}))\triangleright B(L_2(\mathbb{G}))\rangle$ of right $\mathbb{G}$-continuous operators on $L_2(\mathbb{G})$, which was introduced by Bekka (1990) for $L_{\infty}(G)$, is a unital $C^*$-subalgebra of $B(L_2(\mathbb{G}))$. In the representation framework formulated by Neufang-Ruan-Spronk (2008) and Junge-Neufang-Ruan, we show that the dual properties of compactness and discreteness can be characterized simultaneously via automatic normality of quantum group bimodule maps on $B(L_2(\mathbb{G}))$. We also characterize some commutation relations of completely bounded multipliers of $(T(L_2(\mathbb{G})), \triangleright)$ over $B(L_2(\mathbb{G}))$.

Let $\VN(G)$ be the von Neumann algebra of a locally compact group $G$. We denote by $\mu$ the initial ordinal with $\abs{\mu}$ equal to the smallest cardinality of an open basis at the unit of $G$ and $X= \{\alpha; \alpha < \mu \}$. We show that if $G$ is nondiscrete then there exist an isometric $*$-isomorphism $\kappa$ of $l^{\infty}(X)$ into $\VN(G)$ and a positive linear mapping $\pi$ of $\VN(G)$ onto $l^{\infty}(X)$ such that $\pi\circ\kappa = \id_{l^{\infty}(X)}$ and $\kappa$ and $\pi$ have certain additional properties. Let $\UCB (\hat{G})$ be the $C^{*}$-algebra generated by operators in $\VN(G)$ with compact support and $F(\hat{G})$ the space of all $T \in \VN(G)$ such that all topologically invariant means on $\VN(G)$ attain the same value at $T$. The construction of the mapping $\pi$ leads to the conclusion that the quotient space $\UCB (\hat{G})/F(\hat{G})\cap \UCB(\hat{G})$ has $l^{\infty}(X)$ as a continuous linear image if $G$ is nondiscrete. When $G$ is further assumed to be non-metrizable, it is shown that $\UCB(\hat{G})/F (\hat{G})\cap \UCB(\hat{G})$ contains a linear isomorphic copy of $l^{\infty}(X)$. Similar results are also obtained for other quotient spaces.