Excision in algebraic K-theory and Karoubi's conjecture.

We prove that the property of excision in algebraic K-theory is for a Q-algebra A equivalent to the H-unitality of the latter. Our excision theorem, in particular, implies Karoubi's conjecture on the equality of algebraic and topological K-theory groups of stable C*-algebras. It also allows us to identify the algebraic K-theory of the symbol map in the theory of pseudodifferential operators.