Surface group representations with maximal Toledo invariant. (Q1408094)

Let \(\mathbb H\) be the upper half plane and \(\Gamma_g\subset \text{SL} (2,\mathbb R)\) the fundamental group of a compact Riemann surface \(S\) of genus \(g\geq 2\) and \(X\) a Hermitian symmetric space of noncompact type, equipped with its Bergman metric and Kähler form \(\omega_X\). Let \(\rho\) be a representation of \(\Gamma_g\) into the identity component \(G(X)\) of the group of isometries of \(X\). For a smooth map \(f:\mathbb H\rightarrow X\) which is equivariant with respect to \(\rho\), the integral \(\tau_{\rho}\) of \(f^*(\omega_X)\) over \(S\) is called the Toledo invariant of \(\rho\). It is known that \(| \tau_\rho | \leq 4\pi (g-1)r_X\), where \(r_X=\) rank \(X\). The authors are interested in the classification of representations \(\rho\) with maximal Toledo invariant \(| \tau_{\rho}| = 4\pi (g-1)r_X\). For those representations they prove: The Zariski-closure \(L\) of \(\rho (\Gamma_g)\) is a reductive subgroup of \(G(X)\), and the symmetric subspace \(Y\) of \(X\) associated to \(L\) is isometric to a tube type domain. Moreover \(\Gamma_g\) acts on \(Y\) properly discontinuously without fixed points. An example shows that \(Y\) is not necessarily holomorphically embedded into \(X\). On the other hand, for every \(g\geq 2\) and every Hermitian symmetric space \(X\) of tube type there exists a representation \(\rho\) of some \(\Gamma_g\) into \(G(X)\) with maximal Toledo invariant and Zariski dense image. The proof of the theorem is heavily based on former results of the authors [see \textit{M. Burger} and \textit{A. Iozzi}, Geom. Funct. Anal. 12, 281--292 (2002; Zbl 1006.22011), \textit{M. Burger} and \textit{N. Monod}, ibid., 219--280 (2002; Zbl 1006.22010) and \textit{A. Iozzi} Rigidity in dynamics and geometry, Cambridge 2000, Berlin, Springer, 237--260 (2002; Zbl 1012.22023)].