Generating pairs for finite index subgroups of \(\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})\) (Q335618): Difference between revisions

In this paper, the author proves the following very interesting result. Let \(n \geq 3\) and \( g \in \mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})\). If the degree of the minimal polynomial of \(g\) is \(n\) then there exists \(u \in \mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})\) such that \(|\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z}): \langle g,u^m\rangle | < \infty\), for all \(m \geq 1\). It follows that every finite index subgroup \(H\) of \(\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})\) contains a \(2\)-generated subgroup of finite index. This provides a complete answer to a question of \textit{A. Lubotzky} [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 121, 254--262 (1986; Zbl 0605.20029)]. A number of partial answers are already known. (The Zariski-density of \(H\) ensures that it always contains an element \(g\) of the above type.) As with the classical congruence subgroup problem, this is another example of how the properties of \(\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})\) (\( n \geq 3\)) differ completely from those of \(\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})\). With finitely many exceptions, every \(2\)-generated subgroup of a normal finite index subgroup of \(\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})\) is of infinite index. The proof is based on the Bruhat decomposition of \(\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Q})\). Let \(U(\mathbb{C})\) be the subgroup of all unipotent upper triangular matrices and let \(\Lambda=\langle g,u^m\rangle\), where \(u=e_{1,n}(1)\). The first step involves showing that \(\Lambda\cap U(\mathbb{C})\) is Zariski-dense in \(U(\mathbb{C})\). It follows then that \(\Lambda^*\), a conjugate of \(\Lambda\), contains ``many'' elementary matrices. In fact, \(\Lambda^*\) contains sufficiently many elementary matrices to ensure, from a result of Tits, that \(\Lambda\) contains a principal congruence subgroup of \(\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})\). The author intends this paper to be a contribution to the study of \textit{thin groups} which have attracted a great deal of attention recently. In the context of this paper, a thin group is a subgroup of infinite index in \(\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})\) which is Zariski-dense in \(\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{C})\).