Let X be an infinite compact metric space, \alpha : X \to X a minimal
homeomorphism, u the unitary implementing \alpha in the transformation group
C*-algebra, and S a class of separable nuclear C*-algebras that contains all
unital hereditary C*-subalgebras of C*-algebras in S.
Kadison and Kastler introduced a natural metric on the collection of all
C*-subalgebras of the bounded operators on a separable Hilbert space. They
conjectured that sufficiently close algebras are unitarily conjugate. We
establish this conjecture when one algebra is separable and nuclear. We also
consider one-sided versions of these notions, and we obtain embeddings from
certain near inclusions involving separable nuclear C*-algebras.
We show that separable, simple, unital C*-algebras with finite decomposition
rank absorb the Jiang-Su algebra Z tensorially. This has a number of
consequences for Elliott's program to classify nuclear C*-algebras by their
K-theory data. In particular, it completes the classification of C*-algebras
associated to uniquely ergodic, smooth, minimal dynamical systems by their
ordered K-groups.