Abstract commensurators of lattices in Lie groups (Q2351852): Difference between revisions

The abstract commensurator \(\mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma)\) of a discrete group \(\Gamma\) consists of commensurations, i.e., equivalence classes \([\varphi]\) of isomorphisms \(\varphi : \Delta \to \tilde \Delta\) between finite-index subgroups \(\Delta, \tilde \Delta \leq \Gamma\), where two such isomorphisms \(\varphi_1, \varphi_2\) are equivalent if they agree on a suitably chosen finite-index subgroup of \(\Gamma\). Clearly, the composition of maps induces a group structure on \(\mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma)\). Commensurations play a central role in the study of rigidity and arise naturally in various classification problems in geometry and topology. There is a natural homomorphism \(\mathrm{Aut}(\Gamma) \to \mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma)\); often the commensurator \(\mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma)\) encompasses the automorphism group \(\mathrm{Aut}(\Gamma)\) and provides a somewhat larger environment. For instance, for a free abelian group \(\mathbb{Z}^n\) of finite rank, \(\mathrm{Comm}(\mathbb{Z}^n) \cong \mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{Q})\), while \(\mathrm{Aut}(\mathbb{Z}^n) \cong \mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z})\). The aim of the paper under review is to elucidate the structure of the commensurator \(\mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma)\), quite generally, for lattices \(\Gamma\) in connected, linear real Lie groups \(G\) with simply-connected soluble radical. We recall that a lattice in a Lie group \(G\) is a discrete subgroup of finite co-volume. For irreducible lattices \(\Gamma\) in semisimple Lie groups \(G\), not locally isomorphic to \(\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{R})\), the commensurator \(\mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma)\) can be pinned down by means of classical results primarily due to A. Borel, G. A. Mostow, G. Prasad and G. A. Margulis; e.g., compare [\textit{G. A. Margulis}, Discrete subgroups of semisimple Lie groups. Berlin etc.: Springer-Verlag (1991; Zbl 0732.22008)]. The first main result in the paper under review (Theorem 1.2) states that, if \(\Gamma\) is a lattice in a simply-connected, soluble real Lie group~\(G\), then there exists a \(\mathbb{Q}\)-defined algebraic group \(\mathbf{A}_\Gamma\) such that (i) \(\mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma) \cong \mathbf{A}_\Gamma(\mathbb{Q})\) and (ii) the image of \(\mathrm{Aut}(\Gamma)\) in \(\mathbf{A}_\Gamma(\mathbb{Q})\) is commensurable with \(\mathbf{A}_\Gamma(\mathbb{Z})\). The proof of the theorem uses the virtual algebraic hull construction for polycyclic-by-finite groups that is due to \textit{G.~D.~Mostow} [Amer.\ J.\ Math.\ 92, 1--32 (1970; Zbl 0205.04406)] and was developed further by \textit{M.~S.~Raghunathan} [Discrete subgroups of Lie groups. New York: Springer-Verlag (1972; Zbl 0254.22005)], and \textit{O.~Baues} and \textit{F.~Grunewald} [Publ.\ Math.\ Inst.\ Hautes Études Sci., No.\ 104, 213--268 (2006; Zbl 1121.20027)]. Recall that the algebraic hull \(\mathbf{H}\) of a poly-(infinite cyclic) group \(\Delta\) is a certain \(\mathbb{Q}\)-algebraic group such that \(\Delta\) embeds as a Zariski dense subgroup into \(\mathbf{H}(\mathbb{Q})\) and commensurations of \(\Delta\) extend to \(\mathbb{Q}\)-defined automorphisms of \(\mathbf{H}\). Thus the commensurator \(\mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma)\) of a polycyclic-by-finite group \(\Gamma\) can be realised as the group of \(\mathbb{Q}\)-points \(\mathbf{A}_\Gamma(\mathbb{Q})\), where \(\mathbf{A}_\Gamma\) is a suitable Zariski-closed subgroup of the algebraic automorphism group \(\mathrm{Aut}(\mathbf{H})\). The result for lattices in soluble Lie groups is combined with the known results for lattices in semisimple groups to arrive at the second main result (Theorem 1.7). Suppose that \(\Gamma\) is a lattice in a connected, linear real Lie group \(G\) with simply-connected soluble radical. Suppose that there are no quotients \(H\) of \(G\), locally isomorphic to \(\mathrm{SO}(n,1)\) or \(\mathrm{SU}(n,1)\), such that \(\Gamma\) maps to a lattice in~\(H\). Then \(\Gamma\) virtually embeds with Zariski-dense image into the group \(\mathbf{G}(\mathbb{Q})\) of \(\mathbb{Q}\)-points of a \(\mathbb{Q}\)-defined algebraic group \(\mathbf{G}\) such that every commensuration \([\varphi] \in \mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma)\) induces a unique \(\mathbb{Q}\)-defined automorphism of \(\mathbf{G}\) that virtually extends \(\varphi\). Furthermore, there is a \(\mathbb{Q}\)-defined algebraic group \(\mathbf{B}\) such that (i) \(\mathrm{Comm}(\Gamma) \cong \mathbf{B}(\mathbb{Q})\) and (ii) the image of \(\mathrm{Aut}(\Gamma)\) in \(\mathbf{B}\) is commensurable with \(\mathbf{B}(\mathbb{Z})\). Roughly speaking, the group \(\mathbf{G}\) above is constructed as the semidirect product of the virtual algebraic hull \(\mathbf{H}\) of the `soluble part' of \(\Gamma\) and a semisimple group \(\mathbf{S}\) such that \(\mathbf{S}(\mathbb{Z})\) is commensurable with the `semisimple part' of \(\Gamma\). The assumption that \(\Gamma\) does not map onto a lattice in either \(\mathrm{SO}(1,n)\) or \(\mathrm{SU}(1,n)\) is used to deduce from known superrigidity results that commensurations of \(\Gamma\) extend to automorphisms of~\(\mathbf{G}\). The paper is carefully written and provides valuable new insights into the subject. It features many interesting remarks and examples.