Characterization of amenability by a factorization property of the group   von Neumann algebra
  We show that the amenability of a locally compact group $G$ is equivalent to a factorization property of $VN(G)$ which is given by $ VN(G) = <VN(G)^*VN(G)>$. This answer partially two problems proposed by Z. Hu and M. Neufang in their article \textit{Distinguishing properties of Arens irregularity}, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 137 (2009), no. 5, 1753-1761. 
Denis Poulin
math.OA math.FA