Pattern rigidity and the Hilbert-Smith conjecture. (Q441113)

Let \(G\) be a hyperbolic Poincaré duality group and let \(H\) be an infinite quasiconvex subgroup of infinite index in \(G\). In this paper under review the author initiates a study of the topological group \(\text{PPQI}(G,H)\) of pattern-preserving quasi-isometries for \(G\) and \(H\). The main results are: Suppose that for some visual metric on \(\partial G\), \(\dim_{\text{haus}}(\partial G)<\dim_t(\partial G)+2\), where \(\dim_{\text{haus}}\) and \(\dim_t\) denote Hausdorff dimension and topological dimension, respectively. Equivalently suppose that \(\text{ACD}(\partial G)<\dim_t(\partial G)+2\), where \(\text{ACD}(\partial G)\) denotes the Ahlfors regular conformal dimension of \(\partial G\). (a) If \(Q_u\) is a group of pattern-preserving uniform quasi-isometries (or more generally any locally compact group of pattern-preserving quasi-isometries) containing \(G\), then \(G\) is of finite index in \(Q_u\). (b) If further, \(H\) is a codimension one filling subgroup, and \(Q\) is any group of (not necessarily uniform) pattern-preserving quasi-isometries containing \(G\), then \(G\) is of finite index in \(Q_u\). (c) (Topological Pattern Rigidity) Under the assumptions of (b), let \(L\) be the limit set of \(H\) and let \(\mathcal L\) be the collection of translates of \(L\) under \(G\). If \(Q\) is any pattern-preserving group of homeomorphisms of \(\partial G\) preserving \(\mathcal L\) and containing \(G\), then \(G\) is of finite index in \(Q\). One of the main ingredients for the proof is a version of the Hilbert-Smith conjecture for a certain metric spaces. Also shown is the following: Let \(M=M^n\) be a complete finite volume manifold of pinched negative curvature with \(n>2\). Let \(G=\pi_1(M)\). Suppose that there exists a visual metric \(d\) on \(\partial(\widetilde M)\) with \(\dim_{\text{haus}}(\partial(\widetilde M))<\dim_t(\partial(\widetilde M))+2\). Equivalently suppose that \(\text{ACD}(\partial(\widetilde M))<\dim_t(\partial(\widetilde M))+2\). Let \(\Gamma\) be a Cayley graph of \(G\) with respect to a finite generating set. If \(Q\) is a group of uniform quasi-isometries of \(\Gamma\) containing \(G\), then \(G\) is of finite index in \(Q\). In particular, \(Q\subset\text{Comm}(G)\), where \(\text{Comm}(G)\) is the abstract commensurator of \(G\). In the last section the author lists a collection of examples of hyperbolic Poincaré duality groups and ends with two problems which are in need of establishing the main theorem above without the hypothesis of local compactness.