The spectral theory of amenable actions and invariants of discrete groups (Q1412321)

This paper is one of a series in which the author investigates in great detail the interaction between the representation theory of a semisimple group \(G\) and the space of representations of a discrete group \(\Gamma\) in \(G\). Let \(B\) be the Poisson boundary of \(G\). The first main result of this paper is that if \(\eta\) is a quasi-invariant measure on \(B\) under (a representation of) \(\Gamma\) then for any probability measure \(\mu\) on \(\Gamma\) the norm of the action of \(\pi(\mu)\) on \(L^2(B,\eta)\) is equal to the norm of the action of \(\mu\) in the regular representation of \(\Gamma\). From this he deduces explicit lower bounds for the displacement and Margulis numbers, the dimension of the conformal density and various other quantities. He considers the case of \(G = \text{PSL}_2(\mathbb C)\) and \(\Gamma\) a free group in more detail. The identity of the norms holds for any amenable action. The author also proves estimates on the \(\mu-\)entropy. He gives a criterion for the amenability of an action of a discrete subgroup in terms of the representation theory.